General Cycling Discussion - Anyone going to the USPRO Wachovia Cycling Championship??

It's this weekend in Philadelphia.... I've never seen a professional road race in person, so I'm pretty excited about going. If any of you are going, I'll be wearing a Ralph Wiggum mask with my finger up my nose, with the word "deliriou5" painted across my chest, and www.bikeforums.net on my back. LOL... I'm just kidding.


http://www.firstunioncycling.com/home_uspro.asp

i may swing by, ive been to it before many many moons ago, and its a pretty good time. and the sections of the city it goes thru are pretty nice if the weather is good. manyunk will be the big party spot of the race. i dont really like crowds too much so havent made a decision yet. i was thinking i may drive up to valley forge with my bike, and ride down the bike trail to manyunk( i think im misspelling that). just havent made the decision yet. and im also not sure the bike trail will be open all the way into town. i dont think the race uses any of the trail, but i'd hate for someone to try it and then find out it was closed.

i just wanna see "the wall"... though i've driven and ridden through manayunk many a time... i've never actually seen "the wall"....

i also want some inspiration to help me lose weight.... i've really been slackin off these past weeks :(

I won't be going, but I will be rooting for first year pro squad -- Webcor. They are just getting started this year after being the Elite Team for my local racing club --- AltoVelo.

mayaunk sure has some hills, it would be really interesting to see how fast the pros go up it. might be worth seein if the philly bike clup has any festivities planned.

I work right on Logan Circle, so the race goes right by. I usually rearrange my work schedule so I can ride in on the Saturday and hang out on the Parkway.

I don't remember it ever raining on the race (I could be wrong, I haven't been there for all of them). This year looks less promising.

And isn't it stupid that this is the race's third re-naming, all due to bank buyouts? (Core States, First Union, Wachovia.)

RichC

For those of you who are going or have gone in the past.... is it possible to ride alongside the race course from the art museum area all the way up too manayunk? or are the crowds too dense to make this possible? basically i know that parking in the manayunk area is gonna be a total mess, so i'm trying to keep my car as far away from the race as possible, if possible.

pics from the race

climbing the manayunk wall

man this thing beat me up... i tried to ride up it after the race was over.... gave me a whole new level of respect for these guys

yet another

Originally posted by deliriou5
climbing the manayunk wall

man this thing beat me up... i tried to ride up it after the race was over.... gave me a whole new level of respect for these guys

Yeah, I have a friend who lives in Manayunk and so I've had occasion to test myself on that hill. I can do it, but not very fast. Ten times in the same day? I don't think so!

Not exactly a brilliant day weather-wise, but still it's always a thrill to see Philadelphia dressed for racing. And at least the never-rained-on-a-race record is intact.

And that last sprint was something.

RichC

If someone had been timing how long it took us to park the bikes, I think I might have won that race, I was parking them pretty quick down there for Wachovia.

Always a Postal guy somewhere in the pics..Yeah..except for maybe the first.