Monday, October 25, 2010

DCCX - Sunday, October 24, 2010

Well, despite Steve still being out of commission with the sprained arm, DCCX is practically in our backyard, and is always tons of fun, so we did it up and made a proper showing anyway. Got there around 8:30 and set up our tent/table/bagels in the team area by the pave sector of the course. Other teammates and friends quickly found us and we set up a nice little home base. It ended up being kind of funny being all the way down at the end of the row, we didn’t really get to see much of the raucous spectator area by the heart of the course, but it was a good time nonetheless.

Sunday also reaffirmed to me that as much as I may hate Pittsburgh as a sports town, the people we have met from there in the last year are among the best people I have ever met. Just genuinely nice, awesome, and fun people, and always great houseguests to boot. It’s definitely a bummer at a race when none of them are there.

I have to confess that I was lazy and comfortable in the tent and didn’t walk around the course much at all this year. I went over to the main area to get food a couple times (frites and Belgian pancakes were perfection as always) and watched some parts of some races, but mostly just watched from the one spot.

The races were all pretty well attended, particularly the women’s race which was awesome to see. And despite the fact that mechanicals plagued some of the favorites throughout the day, there was still good competition and fun racing to be had. I was also really glad to see so many people really sticking around and making a day of it. A lot of times it feels like Steve and I are the only ones left other than the people still racing and their friends and family by the end of the day, but unless we have something else to do, we really do try to stick around for as much of the day as we can.

But as I mentioned in my post last night, the real highlight of the day for me were the races at the end of the afternoon: rookies and single speeds, followed by tandems. In addition to getting to see people trying out cross for the first time, it was just awesome to see people letting go and letting loose. And the tandems were priceless, with props especially to the Bartlett twins and their bunny hopping, or as I catcalled them, “twinsies on a tandem”!

But in all seriousness, and amazing day and a great race. Great job all around the Family Bike Shop, DCMTB, and all the dozens of people who worked on the race. And a big thanks to the Armed Forces Retirement Home for letting us use (and hopefully not abuse) their beautiful property on such a gorgeous fall day.

1 comment:

  1. it was a beautiful day...
    and a wonderful event

    I am a small cog in the not so big machine that puts on that race

    there are number of people who work very hard to make that happen

    it is great when it all comes together

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