Blooper reel from Bend

My holiday gift...    Blooper,  crash and general start lap chaos compilation from Bend.    Merry Christmas!


2009 Cyclocross National Championships - Crashes from Dale Riley on Vimeo.

Last of the Nationals Video....

OK,  have a bit more from Bend nationals left to post here.  The women's 40 & up groups (several groups,  with 30 second starts,  all merging by the first corner...) and the 30+ & 40 + B races from Thursday.   The starts are pretty funny at the first corner.  160 people do not fit too well thru there.  There is even the sounds of cows mooing and sheep bleating on some starts.

The Biggest ride to see here is in the 40+ B...  Michael Robson was on the worst end of the random callups for the B race,  started even behind me.  He was in about 100th thru the first turn,  behind even me and definitely behind ALL the chaos.  Half a lap later,  at the stairs,  Michael is in 30th place,  then took SECOND in the end.  AMAZING ride.  Kirk Olson ended up getting 14th after starting in my row,  same basic place at the first corner,  and he was in 35th by the stairs.  These guys passed 60 or 70 guys in a half lap.  They are my new cyclocross idols.  (is that going to be a new "reality" show...?)  I guess there is NO more whining about where you line up.   Just hit the gas & go pass a hundred people on the first lap,  and get on with it.

Should have a crash compilation done soon......

Thanks again to Lisa R. for the video.

Women's 40 & up group(s)

National Cyclocross Championship 2009 Women 40+ start from Dale Riley on Vimeo.


national cyclocross championships 2009 SW 40 & up Lap 1 from Dale Riley on Vimeo.

40 + B race

National Cyclocross Championship 2009 Men 40+ B Start from Dale Riley on Vimeo.


National Cyclocross Championship 2009 Men 40+ B Lap 1 from Dale Riley on Vimeo.

30+ B race

National Cyclocross Championship 2009 SM 30+ B Start from Dale Riley on Vimeo.


National Cyclocross Championship 30+B Lap 1 from Dale Riley on Vimeo.

More Nationals Video - 35-39 & 40-44

Few more snippets from Bend.  the 35-39 race and the 40-44.  The fields were too big to get many laps,  but the start & first laps are here.  see how much you moved up...  Have the chaos of the first turn and the stairs.  Once again,  credit 'Crossin-Colorado chief videographer,  Lisa Robinson for the video.

35-39 Championship event

National Cyclocross Championships 35-39 Start from Dale Riley on Vimeo.



National Cyclocross Championships 2009 35-39 Lap 1 from Dale Riley on Vimeo.

40-44 Championship event

National Cyclocross Championship - 40-44 Start from Dale Riley on Vimeo.


National cyclocross championship - 40-44 Lap 1 from Dale Riley on Vimeo.

Battle of the Colorado Cross-Bloggers?

Digging thru the gigabytes of photos & videos from Bend (Thanks to our tireless Chief Videographer,  Lisa...) and I come across a couple of photos from the 40 + B race where a couple of the Colorado Cross-Bloggers are going head to head,  all the way up in Oregon.  

Here is Shotty & myself going at it,  killing each other in the deep,  mid-pack depths,   fighting for something like 80th place.  I was so blind I only noticed the guy in SHORTS (My GOD Shotty,  what were you thinking?  it was COLD...),  not who it was.  

We were disguised in the new team kits for next year,  kinda riding "incognito".    If you look close,  Shotty also narrowly escaped the carnage I cause in the earlier crash video.  Good thing you were in FRONT of me for that drop!  Here we are moments before I decide to not remember how to remount a bike with any grace......

Shotty,  thanks for keeping the mid-pack honest this year!

Nationals Video 50-54

Some Video from Bend. A good "blooper" of me taking out some poor innocent fellow competitor on the icy hill. (Note to self, do NOT miss your mount on icy, rutted ground) Bruises are starting to heal form that one. I like the spectator coming to help, I do NOT remember anyone running out in front of us. The poor guy I took out did not jump up at first. Thought he was hurt, till I heard him (with his hands over his head..) saying "Don't hit me, Don't hit me" over and over.
Bend Boo-Boo - Crash in 40+ B race from Dale Riley on Vimeo.

Start of the 50-54 race. You KNOW you are in for it when the first crash is within 20 meters of the start. Best riders in the nation come together to compete..... You'd think they could get more than 20 meters off the line without groveling around on the ice.
National Cyclocross Championship 2009 - 50-54 Start from Dale Riley on Vimeo.

50-54 Lap 1 at the "stairway to Heaven"
 
National Cyclocross Championship 2009 - 50-54 Lap 1 from Dale Riley on Vimeo.

Lap 2 coming out of the woods.
 
National Cyclocross Championships - 2009 - SM 50-54 Lap 2 from Dale Riley on Vimeo.

Here's to a GREAT cross season.....

Here's to a great cross season.  Ended with a bang in Bend.  Thanks to all who laughed,  cried & suffered with me this year.  It's been a fun one.   Back home,  gotta sort thru the pics & video.  Race reports to follow but for now,   here's how Nationals & the season SHOULD end.

Done!

Brief note from today...    50-54 Masters National Championship.  8:30AM,  dark & light show over ICE.  Again.  Scary & nasty once more.  Turned out well for me.  47 of 87 starters.  Best of all I managed to NOT get lapped. Usually people pump their fist at the finish.  For me,  I was fist pumping at the bell for not getting caught.  SWEET way to finish a season.  GREAT FUN.

Yet more Colorado success,  lots of great rides from the Colorado boys today.

Going to share a couple of pics for now....   From the "B" 40+ race....  Yep,  that's me on the ground (on the left..),  after taking out the poor guy.  skating rink on a 45 degree slope. 

And other times you COULD ride it...   (No,  really, I CAN ride my bike....)

We have TONS ( well,  Giga-Bytes..) of pics & video.  Gonna take a while to gather up & upload it all.  For now,  it's Mexican food & Margs.   Season end celebration.

Bend Race Day 1

Bend is still COLD today.  Today's races were some of the older masters championship events,  and a gaggle of "B" races.   I don't seem to get the concept of a "B" race here,  as I saw several ex national champions in the few rows around me.   Guess it's just a "hot lap" race for everyone.  The Colorado contengent is REPRESENTING here already.   Gary Thacker took 2nd in the 55-59 championship (then raced with us in the "B" race......)  Michael Robson took 2nd in that same 40+ B race.

3:30PM start,  so it was COLD (20-ish degrees...) and DARK as well as ICY and slick.  Hills you could ride at the noon course inspection were not so rideable by then.  Some of the descents were into the out & out frightening catagory.  165 riders lined up for the B race.   You can imagine the chaos.   Going in with NO recent racing,  and seeing who was in the race,  I just went for the go steady and stay up approach.  Managed to MOSTLY stay up,  outside of a nasty spill when 2 of us hooked ruts and tangled on THE steepest,  nastiest drop.  Our chief videographer says she has the whole crash on tape,  too. (Sore hip &B knee from that one...).  Ended up 74th of 78 "finishers" at one lap,  by holding off the front guys till the line on THEIR bell lap.  Everyone else got pulled.  It was Chaos.  no other word for 165 guys hitting icy hairpins and drops all at once.  Was  pretty obvious some of the folks were not that comforable on snow & ice.  LOTS of silly crashes,  and not one but TWO ambulances were tending people on the course during the race,  with one poor guy on the ground getting EMT attention the whole time.  NOT good.

GREAT course up here,  even as slick as it is.  Technical, Twisty and  FUN.  everyone in the "Todd Colorado Crew" tent after was so giddy it was scary.  Having Todd Gold & crew here is FIRST Class.  You want for NOTHING at the reace.  Like being on a pro team.  Nothing my old,  slow Cat 4 self has ever experienced.

Great food & atmosphere in Bend as well.  They are putting on a great show for Natioanls,  in a cool town.  Saturday is the next race for me,  8:30 AM in the cold for 50-55 Championships.  Again,  the goal is to only get lapped once,  and on the last lap,  so as not to get pulled,  we'll see how it goes.  Forecast is warmer (Low 30s) with "ice pellets". Oh Boy,  some lube over the ice. Conditions here are going to be on FULL for the duration it looks like.

Thursday Results from Bend