some photos from Tacchino Ciclocross
some photos and some words from Tacchino Ciclocross in Leesburg Virginia today
these shots are from the men's masters elite
I did not stick around for the Elite/Pro Men/Women
that race was a race of many stories
I meant to stay for a lap but I could not be pulled away
the action unfolding in front of my eyes was too intense to turn away from
gunnar and betsy had some car troubles and arrived twenty minutes before the start
if rushing to the pits to drop off your bike is considered a warm up and pre-ride than gunnar got his warm up and pre-ride
that is no warm up... that is no preride
gunnar decided to try and warm up and pre-ride alone after the sound of the start of his race
gunnar pulled out fast
the pack moved fast behind him
early in the first lap gunnar pulled away from the pack
heading straight for the pitts to swap out his bike on what I remember to be his first lap
seems that both the van and the bike could use the attention of a "real" mechanic
the pits were popular on the first lap
C3 racers Chris Nystrom and Marc Vettori each started their race with mechanical issues which separated them from the main group significantly early on
but that did not keep C3 from racing
Khris Auer was battling things out in the top ten fighting to climb his way to the front
Nystrom and Vettori showed their spirit and each independently separate from the other simultanously climbed their way from the back of the packneither having the potential for a top finish
while both of them were proving that they is more to racing than breaking the tape
I had raced with the Masters B earlier in the morning and had stayed along to watch Cargo Mike race with the the Killer Bs
as much as I knew I had to get home with enough time gather with the family for a trip to see Cirque Du Soliel at the National Harbor I wanted to see my brother race a lap or two
at the first pass I was unable to cheer my brother on
the racers passed in a blur and I had scanned the pack for the black and red of the DCMTB-City Bikes squad having forgotten to look for my brother a white jersey with the markings of the Maryland State Championship
at the first sighting of my brother I was pleased to see he was at the front of the pack
then early into the second lap I was estatic to find that my brother marc had also broken free of the group and was chasing gunnar's rear wheel
I cheered and traversed the course
trying to establish a few good perspectives to capture the moment with my trusty point and shoot
while trying to map a way to cheer on my brother from as many points as I could manage in the duration of a lap
because I really did not feel like I had any more time to stay than a lap... or two
or two... maybe three
the course was wide open
a long wide open course out in the middle of the country on a great big field
not quite the tight winding course of the urban setting that allows for spectators to catch the action from various vistas without much effort
the race was exciting from the first racer to the last
as racers passed I was able to witness the race within the race
not just the race to get to the front of the pack
but the basic race to stay in front of the other without much concern for the action at the front
it was real racing
everyone was throwing it down
everyone was leaving it on the course
the game of cat and mouse unfolded in front of my eyes
I marveled as so many pulled their way from the back towards the front
it amazed me to see that the intensity of the fight only incresed after lap one
no one was settling in
no one was accepting their position
nothing was to be decided until the final lap was completed
I cheered for many more racers than just my brother
I cheered for good play
I cheered for inspirational spirit
every rider in the race has a story to tell
some of them I was able to witness
the battle for the podium was an exciting story that unfolded with some exciting plot twists
Gunnar's dominance for the majority of the race was impressive
I was stoked to see my brother matching gunnar's attacks on the corners and the climbs for so many of these laps
even when there was a change in command and my brother slipped back to a solitary spot of fourth his pace was still pretty much on target with leaders Kris and Gunnar
Kris and Gunnar battled out the last lap exchanging leads and exchanging attacks with Kris winning out in the end
my brother crossed the finishiline moving strong and steady holding onto fourth place not far behind Radny Root who was not far behind Auer and Shogren
when my brother crossed the line I put my camera in my pocket and started the movement towards home
located cargo mike
said a few good byes
got in the car and headed for home
got home with plenty of time to hang out with the family and travel out to The National Harbor with enough time to have the kids climb on The Awakening at its new home seven miles down river from Haines Point
it is late... gotta crash
may re-read this tomorrow
or maybe I will just write an alternate perspective that invloves my race and my experiences of the day
some photos and some words from Tacchino Ciclocross in Leesburg Virginia today
these shots are from the men's masters eliteI did not stick around for the Elite/Pro Men/Women
that race was a race of many stories
I meant to stay for a lap but I could not be pulled away
the action unfolding in front of my eyes was too intense to turn away from
gunnar and betsy had some car troubles and arrived twenty minutes before the start
if rushing to the pits to drop off your bike is considered a warm up and pre-ride than gunnar got his warm up and pre-ride
that is no warm up... that is no preride
gunnar decided to try and warm up and pre-ride alone after the sound of the start of his race
gunnar pulled out fast
the pack moved fast behind him
early in the first lap gunnar pulled away from the pack
heading straight for the pitts to swap out his bike on what I remember to be his first lap
seems that both the van and the bike could use the attention of a "real" mechanic
the pits were popular on the first lap
C3 racers Chris Nystrom and Marc Vettori each started their race with mechanical issues which separated them from the main group significantly early on
but that did not keep C3 from racing
Khris Auer was battling things out in the top ten fighting to climb his way to the front
Nystrom and Vettori showed their spirit and each independently separate from the other simultanously climbed their way from the back of the packneither having the potential for a top finish
while both of them were proving that they is more to racing than breaking the tape
I had raced with the Masters B earlier in the morning and had stayed along to watch Cargo Mike race with the the Killer Bs
as much as I knew I had to get home with enough time gather with the family for a trip to see Cirque Du Soliel at the National Harbor I wanted to see my brother race a lap or two
at the first pass I was unable to cheer my brother on
the racers passed in a blur and I had scanned the pack for the black and red of the DCMTB-City Bikes squad having forgotten to look for my brother a white jersey with the markings of the Maryland State Championship
at the first sighting of my brother I was pleased to see he was at the front of the pack
then early into the second lap I was estatic to find that my brother marc had also broken free of the group and was chasing gunnar's rear wheel
I cheered and traversed the course
trying to establish a few good perspectives to capture the moment with my trusty point and shoot
while trying to map a way to cheer on my brother from as many points as I could manage in the duration of a lap
because I really did not feel like I had any more time to stay than a lap... or two
or two... maybe three
the course was wide opena long wide open course out in the middle of the country on a great big field
not quite the tight winding course of the urban setting that allows for spectators to catch the action from various vistas without much effort
the race was exciting from the first racer to the last
as racers passed I was able to witness the race within the race
not just the race to get to the front of the pack
but the basic race to stay in front of the other without much concern for the action at the front
it was real racingeveryone was throwing it down
everyone was leaving it on the course
the game of cat and mouse unfolded in front of my eyes
I marveled as so many pulled their way from the back towards the front
it amazed me to see that the intensity of the fight only incresed after lap one
no one was settling in
no one was accepting their position
nothing was to be decided until the final lap was completed
I cheered for many more racers than just my brother
I cheered for good play
I cheered for inspirational spirit
every rider in the race has a story to tell
some of them I was able to witness
the battle for the podium was an exciting story that unfolded with some exciting plot twists
Gunnar's dominance for the majority of the race was impressive
I was stoked to see my brother matching gunnar's attacks on the corners and the climbs for so many of these laps
even when there was a change in command and my brother slipped back to a solitary spot of fourth his pace was still pretty much on target with leaders Kris and Gunnar
Kris and Gunnar battled out the last lap exchanging leads and exchanging attacks with Kris winning out in the end
my brother crossed the finishiline moving strong and steady holding onto fourth place not far behind Radny Root who was not far behind Auer and Shogren
when my brother crossed the line I put my camera in my pocket and started the movement towards home
located cargo mike
said a few good byes
got in the car and headed for home
got home with plenty of time to hang out with the family and travel out to The National Harbor with enough time to have the kids climb on The Awakening at its new home seven miles down river from Haines Point
it is late... gotta crash
may re-read this tomorrow
or maybe I will just write an alternate perspective that invloves my race and my experiences of the day