MAC Series #3 - Wilmington, DE

You could say today didn't start out peachy. First I took my A Bike out of the car and the derailleur was bent. Lovely. Thank heavens we have to 2 trusty mechanics on hand, Buck and Morgan. They rule. I wasn't worried a bit that they would have the bike up and running in no time. And I still had my B bike with me right? So one bike was working and it'd be all fine and dandy if we couldn't get the other up and running in time.

...Well that is what I was thinking until some dude RUNS OVER my Reynolds carbon wheel that was attached to my B bike laying on the ground not far from my passenger door WITH HIS CAR.

Yes, CAR.

He stops the car ON MY WHEEL and looks at me; I am doing other stuff until I feel the loomy shadow of his car and turn around and about have a heart attack. Nothing like seeing a CAR tire sitting on your bike wheel before your race. I tell him to GET OFF IT and he drives away as if NOTHING has happened. Not a care or concern in the world for him and yet he has potentially ruined my race. That was less that considerate I must say.

And, luckily the Reynolds wheel HELD UP if you can even believe it and so did the Challenge Tire! Buy Reynolds Wheels and Challenge everyone! They rock! I was SO lucky.

So those were my 2 pre race dramatics which it seems you always have whether its forgetting your GU gel at the line or having your bike wheel run over by a car. It is always something and you must be prepared to "deal" at all times.

Alright now for the race. It was super hilly for cross race. It was dry and sunny out with grass off camber FAST descents and steep pitches that were barely barely barely ridable. Overall the course was super bumpy requiring low tire pressure to take the burden off your arms. One barrier section in a very inconvenient spot.....what else is new?

Got a picture of this tower that sits on the DuPont estates that we were racing on. We climbed up to that thing on every lap on some singletrack that made it feel like an mtb race. It was fun although quite painful. I just put the pain in the back of my head on that one.


I had a first row start which I found to be very convenient heading up the pavement like a bat out of hell with everyone. And right away Mo, Deidre (my teammate!!) and I got a gap that we just kept growing and growing over then next 40 minutes.

And mid race........I became a yo yo again. Losing time over the barriers and in other "cross" sections and then closing the gap. It was well said when a reporter came up to me at the end and said "how many times did you close the gap...172". I think it was 173 though. But I did not give up. That thought and notion wasn't part of what I was thinking so it wasn't an option.

The finish line came down to a sprint for 1-2-3. Yes again. Same thing happened in Gloucester, MA last weekend. Starting out the sprint was Deidre in 1st, Mo second and me on the back. Deidre wound it up and so did Mo and I thought hey, why not be a copy cat and so I wound it up too and was able to take Mo just moments before crossing the finish line.

Velo Bella went 1-2!!!! And 5 (Barb) and 8 (Anna)!! Nice work!


Here is a picture of the area


Deidre, Barb H, Anna, Mo, some random chick.


And more pics of the area.


Here is a bit of a wright up on the race although they have the story wrong in the end. I came in 2nd.

Tomorrow is more racing up in Ludwigs Corner, PA. Yee Haw!