Category Archives: Comments about Cycling

I’m a Fan

This entry was posted in Comments about Cycling, Racing on by .

I have a hard time just being a fan and not projecting myself into the race. But, watching the Cyclocross Worlds yesterday was beyond awesome. It was the best bike race spectating that I’ve ever experienced and I’ve seen a ton of bike races.

I was pretty worried if I’d hold up with only 3 hours of semi-sleep before. We rode our bikes from the hotel and made it in time for the junior start. The next 7 hours went by in a blur. All 4 races were spectacular. Three Dutch winners and then Sven. Pretty good stuff.

I’m gonna cut this short this morning. We’re high tailing it back to Kansas this morning, hopefully settling in somewhere to watch the Super Bowl. If I had a little extra time, I’d like to go by the park and check out the venue. The water was fast approaching the sand bagged area, so I’m thinkin’ much of it might be flooded already.

I’ve been pretty much covered in mud, nearly wearing the same clothes for the past three days and I love it.

Okay, sorry about the short, boring post, but life gets in the way sometimes.


Here are some photos from yesterday in no particular order.

Not much left to pack this morning.

Not much left to pack this morning.

One lap to go in the women's race.

One lap to go in the women’s race.

This is Catherine and Marianne Vos's mother.

This is Catherine and Marianne Vos’s mother.

Super fan.

Super fan.

These are Tommy and Trudi, very good friends from Swtizerland.  I've camped out in their house near Zurich for weeks during my lifetime.

These are Tommy and Trudi, very good friends from Swtizerland. I’ve camped out in their house near Zurich for weeks during my lifetime.

Getting ready to pit.

Getting ready to pit.

Some barriers action the first lap of the Elite race.

Some barriers action the first lap of the Elite race.

This was  pretty intense.

This was pretty intense.

Sven on his own.

Sven on his own.

My view of the podium.

My view of the podium.

Catherine and the 3rd place French girl.  Man, how about that finish for 3rd.  I feel super bad for Kateria Nash.

Catherine and the 3rd place French girl. Man, how about that finish for 3rd. I feel super bad for Kateria Nash.

The bikes from the Master's races on Friday.  There are dozens of bike here, heading back to Colorado, that are nearly ruined.

Sport

This entry was posted in Comments about Cycling on by .

I spent the last week doing a sport that is very challenging, frustrating, rewarding, dirty, not the least bit glamorous, and barely a niche sport here in the United States. Cyclocross. We then drove back from Louisville to Topeka, talking about the races pretty much the entire 9 hours. Just back in time to catch the last half of the Super Bowl. Another sport, but this one is brutal, physical, majestic at times, and nearly unbelievably popular here in the US. Football. If you add up all the money that every cyclocross racer in the world makes, it wouldn’t come close to matching the salary of just one, high paid, professional football player.

We humans think that we are the shit when it comes to athletics. But, as I’ve said before, there is hardly a mammal alive that isn’t naturally more physically fit and agile than the best trained human.

I have so much stuff mulling around in my noggin that I can’t really sort it out right now. I am more physically, and mentally, tired than I can remember recently. So, I’m going to take Bromont around the block and then head to bed.

Here is an example of how beautiful and awe inspiring an animal can be. You don’t have to watch the whole thing, just a little will give you the taste. I could watch this all day.

Cheetahs on the Edge–Director’s Cut from Gregory Wilson on Vimeo.