Having never experienced (seen or ridden in) a cyclocross race, Minh and I decided to head out to this year’s SpookyCross – race #5 of the Socal Cross Prestige Series. Since we were there anyway, we decided to volunteer to course marshal for a little while. You’d be surprised at how many people think they can “beat” a racer crossing the course. Craziness!
BEST COSTUME OF THE NIGHT!!! too bad (or perhaps a good thing) he didn't ACTUALLY race..
Ready.. Aim.. FIRE!!!
Someone ACTUALLY had a kid in one of these bike carrier things.. NUTS!
Dude on a UNICYCLE!!! Only in cyclocross!
These wrestlers were SMASHING the pumpkins they had out as a bonus "barrier" on the course.. TOO FUNNY!
A moving cyclocross COURSE.. talk about CREATIVE!
Here are the videos.. turn the volume WAY WAY DOWN if you don’t want to hear the cowbell and Minh laughing HYSTERICALLY in the background…
APOLOGIES: We forgot the “good” camera in the car, so had to settle with taking pictures with my dinky point-and-shoot. After using the “good” camera, the little camera is so unsatisfying. Most of the pictures came out blurry (During a race? Go figure) and the camera speed is so slow that some of the pictures are either too far away (timed early) or too close (timed late). Also.. once darkness fell, the ability to take pictures dropped exponentially. I had to resort to video, which turned out better (I think).
Here are some pictures from the Elite Women’s Race.. Seeing these women race made me kind of wish that I was out there racing, too.. instead of just spectating. Maybe next time…
Justin "Super"Mann chasing after wife and pro Allison (of Rock'n'Road) during the Elite Women's race
Elite Women's leader Coryn Rivera of Peanut Butter & Co
Allison Mann (of Rock'n'Road) hopping up the "steps"
Carolyn Reeves, representing the TEAM (Sho-Air/Sonance/Velosport) in the Women's Masters 45+ race
Beth Walsh (Nytro) in her FIRST EVER cyclocross race!
I gave up on pictures after the Costume Race.. so the Elite Men’s Race ONLY has video. We didn’t stay for the whole thing since Minh had to go close the laundromat.. but we DID catch the first couple laps. Man.. those men can FLY!!!
On the podium: (5) Brandon Gritters of Rock’n’Road, (4) Brent Penzlow of Celo Pacific, (3) Brian Lopes, (2) Sid Taberlay of Sho-Air, and (1) (Top 10 Tour de France Finisher) CHRIS HORNER OF TEAM RADIOSHACK!!
Think Tran 