Does this look cold to you ? Sub-zero conditions greeted us in Bend for the last big weekend race of the year. Clear skies on Thursday turned to Snow on Friday and dumped more than half a foot on the town and race course.
Checking out the course on Friday was a cold business. The thought of racing in these conditions was insane.....but we raced nonetheless.
Rick and I were the first to go off at 10:30 A.M. -temperatures were said to be just below zero.
Rick got a good start and wound up 10th for the day-
I was not as lucky , getting delayed by some crashes and finished in 11th.
The trombone made its first trip north and the band played on the flyover much to the annoyance of the race officials-everyone else was into it though.
Katie Jay getting ready for the start of the women's elite race. She would finish 15th and earn her first ever UCI point.
Look carefully and you'll see the lime-green helmet of Courtenay McFadden. Our new team mate would race to 8th place on the day after getting caught in early race traffic. Courtenay has been at the front most UCI weekends-so much that she has earned a spot at /cross Eurocamp and will be in Belgium the remainder of December. She has a chance to make the world's team-this means a Bicycle Bluebook rider at the very top of the sport.......not bad for a small team with bikes pretty much built by one guy in a shed.
Scott Chapin getting psyched for the men's elite race. He would ride from the 4rth row on his single speed to 23rd , passing many riders in the process.
Another new elite team mate Kevin Noiles from Canada would start in the third row and finish 22nd in the men's elite race. Kevin handled the cold temps better than most-Scott would wind up with frostbite in both hands. Andrew Juiliano got caught in an early pileup and get stuck near the back of the field but made the most of it airing the flyover and giving the crowd and photographers something to cheer about.He would finish 36th. Kailin Waterman also rode a single speed and would finish 41st .
Here's the van loaded and ready for the trip back to California-ten bikes and six riders definitely ready to leave the snow behind.
The tunnel at the end of the light.....making the last hour home.
Winning.
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