Friday, November 16, 2007
Friday, November 02, 2007
The third and final race of the 07 Memphis downs was a rousing success. Fifteen riders and another ten or so spectators inaugurated the Orange Mound Round criterium course with aplomb.
The race got interesting in the first lap when the second turn (that sharp one up the hill) broke the pack. Denis took a 30m or so lead with a chase group of four behind him, and the rest strung out a bit. By the time everyone came around the starting line, a lead group of five (Denis, Chase, Chris, Anthony and Josh) had gapped a chase group by 100m or so. By the middle of the second lap, the front realised no one was catching and we decided to start lapping people. We started catching folks on the third lap, and caught all but the chase group of four (Mike Crum, Mike Brown, Isaiah and Amber) and Jackson.
A word about Jackson. He started the night with a flat on the neutral lap. He was racing with a tiny gear on his bike and rode solo almost the whole way. And he wasn't lapped. There really should be a prize for that.
The next bit of action for the night was when, in the fifth lap, I flatted on that turn near the roller coaster and had drop out of the front group. I shouldered the bike back to the front where John lent me his rear wheel joining the group again on the last lap, but had to give it up with my chain slipping on the smaller, non-aligned cog. On the last lap, Anthony took a small gap around turn two, and had the group strung out a bit going into the back half of the course, but everyone brought it back and Chase charged up the back stretch (into the wind, uphill in the dark) but couldn't follow it through. Denis attacked and Chris followed, but Denis gapped by 20 or so meters to win sitting up. Chris, Chase and Anthony followed in the first group. The second group came through a couple of minutes later with an exciting sprint for fifth. Mike Crum took all by a bike-length with Mike Brown edging out Isaiah by inches.
The afterparty, complete with firejumping, at Jacob and Isaiah's was a blast with prizes from our sponsors passed out to all. I want to remind everyone that the online coupon-code is still good at Midtown bikes for 25% off a catalogue order. If you need the code, email me.
Denis won the overall title for the Memphis Downs. His wins at the Parking Garage Race and the Orange Mound Round secured the title. Amber took the women's classification with an impressive showing at all three races. Thanks to Chrome, Walz and Midtown Bikes for their donations of prizes to the winners. The final standings are in the comments. Thanks to everyone for coming out and supporting Revolutions and late-night urban riding in Memphis.
The race got interesting in the first lap when the second turn (that sharp one up the hill) broke the pack. Denis took a 30m or so lead with a chase group of four behind him, and the rest strung out a bit. By the time everyone came around the starting line, a lead group of five (Denis, Chase, Chris, Anthony and Josh) had gapped a chase group by 100m or so. By the middle of the second lap, the front realised no one was catching and we decided to start lapping people. We started catching folks on the third lap, and caught all but the chase group of four (Mike Crum, Mike Brown, Isaiah and Amber) and Jackson.
A word about Jackson. He started the night with a flat on the neutral lap. He was racing with a tiny gear on his bike and rode solo almost the whole way. And he wasn't lapped. There really should be a prize for that.
The next bit of action for the night was when, in the fifth lap, I flatted on that turn near the roller coaster and had drop out of the front group. I shouldered the bike back to the front where John lent me his rear wheel joining the group again on the last lap, but had to give it up with my chain slipping on the smaller, non-aligned cog. On the last lap, Anthony took a small gap around turn two, and had the group strung out a bit going into the back half of the course, but everyone brought it back and Chase charged up the back stretch (into the wind, uphill in the dark) but couldn't follow it through. Denis attacked and Chris followed, but Denis gapped by 20 or so meters to win sitting up. Chris, Chase and Anthony followed in the first group. The second group came through a couple of minutes later with an exciting sprint for fifth. Mike Crum took all by a bike-length with Mike Brown edging out Isaiah by inches.
The afterparty, complete with firejumping, at Jacob and Isaiah's was a blast with prizes from our sponsors passed out to all. I want to remind everyone that the online coupon-code is still good at Midtown bikes for 25% off a catalogue order. If you need the code, email me.
Denis won the overall title for the Memphis Downs. His wins at the Parking Garage Race and the Orange Mound Round secured the title. Amber took the women's classification with an impressive showing at all three races. Thanks to Chrome, Walz and Midtown Bikes for their donations of prizes to the winners. The final standings are in the comments. Thanks to everyone for coming out and supporting Revolutions and late-night urban riding in Memphis.
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