"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - High Point Hillclimb TT (non) Race Report

Cancelled due to heavy fog at the top of the course at the entrance to High Point State Park after about 78 riders had finished. Pcad was rider #106. Drat. Understandable, visibility at the park entrance was literally <100 feet, it was pea soup fog, and the cars couldn't see the cyclists. Race organizers had no real choice in my view.

Me and some of the DKNY boys went for a 17 mile consolation spin and a good time was had by all. Oh well. Boy was I ready this year. With any luck they'll re-schedule the race for mid June and I'll be eschewing Twinkies, doing hill repeats and getting increasingly emaciated until that time.

My conversation with the race official at the start:

Pcad: I come here for the humiliation and Self Loathing, what do I get out of this now?

Official: If it helps, I think you suck.

Pcad: Thanks, but it's not the same.

Here's how much I enjoy cycling: I showed up for this race I've trained for all year feeling great, all warmed up and ready to rip up that hill, was very disappointed it got cancelled and I still had a great time hanging with the boys, soaking up the whole TT scene and doing a nice spin in the countryside around there. God help me I do love this sport.

well that stinks. Glad you were ok with the decision. I would have told them to HTFU and run the race. What is this, NASCAR?

How do you have a "nice spin" on a TT bike?

Sorry to hear about the cancellation. I guess it would be like taking a Viagra and then your wife saying that she has a headache.

Pcad: I come here for the humiliation and Self Loathing, what do I get out of this now?

Official: If it helps, I think you suck.


:lol:

Not a surprise.

Last night/this morning I drove through PA & NJ and the fog was pretty thick. When I crossed the GWB (at +/- 3:30) you couldn't even see the top of the bridge.

I wouldn't have been surprised to hear Adrienne Barbeau coming on the radio, and telling people to stay away from the fog.

http://www.cryptdvd.com/Gallery/CryptGallery27.jpg

TT bike? For High Point? Those guys that wear those silly George Jetson helmets even crack me up. Dude, it's a TT with an average speed of 12mph. The fastest time there is still an average of only 15-16mph. Hill climb. Aero Schmero. It's Watts vs. Every Twinkie You Ever Ate.

HTFU? The visibility at that turn into the park was zero point zero. They would have had to close the road. That wasn't going to happen. They really had absolutely no choice. But I did point out to the race officials that if a motorist killed a cyclist 4.5 miles into that 5.5 mile uphill slog he would only be putting the competitor out of his misery. So I'm not sure what the problem was.

The amazing part was that two hours later at noon when I drove through there, the fog was still Jack the Ripper thick. Amazing. The clouds would not lift @ High Point today.

better question: how do you have a nice spin with the DKNY boys?

better question: how do you have a nice spin with the DKNY boys?

Some mysteries are meant to go unfathomed my little steinb.

HTFU? The visibility at that turn into the park was zero point zero. They would have had to close the road. That wasn't going to happen. They really had absolutely no choice. But I did point out to the race officials that if a motorist killed a cyclist 4.5 miles into that 5.5 mile uphill slog he would only be putting the competitor out of his misery. So I'm not sure what the problem was.



The Belgians would have run this race...

The Belgians would have run this race...

Only because they would have closed the road to the cars. That wasn't gonna happen.

The Belgians would have run this race...

don't be so sure, my rosy necked friend.

These words seem familiar at all? "Rain or Shine" Ring a bell?

These words seem familiar at all? "Rain or Shine" Ring a bell?

Does 'fear of huge lawsuit' ring a bell?

What are you guys, idiots? The visibility on an OPEN PUBLIC ROAD was ZERO POINT ZERO.

so the results are nullified?

so the results are nullified?

Good question. All that remains to be seen. They need to reschedule the event or dump the results in my view, although I think the 1-2-3 participants did all get to ride, so they could conceivably keep those and toss the other results (35+, 45+, etc.). It might depend on the USCF's policy in these cases. I'm sure this isn't the first TT that got cancelled half way through.

A club called Echelon is running a TT on the exact same course August 10. Much better timing for Uncle Pcad. I am pre-registered:

http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=6469

I am totally, utterly and completely psyched. I will be wailing up mountains and eschewing Doritos for the next 90 days. If I can get down to 165lbs those 45+ mopes are in serious, serious trouble. Well, OK, maybe not all of them. But Pcad will be in the top half. Maybe the top ten. Oh yes.