Lapham Peak Cyclocross Race
October 24, 2004
Photos (taken by David Bell):
C Men
C Women and
Juniors
B Men and 40+
30+ Men
A/B Women
A Men
30+ Race Report
from Scott Topel (Brazen Dropouts)
The 30+ race at the second Lapham Peak race of the season
was the most fun in the series so far. We were supposed to race at Whitewater
last Sunday, but the UWW Campus banned bicycling from campus trails and we moved
back to Lapham. What a change from preparing all summer for that steep five
barrier run-up again at Whitewater, to racing on the flat course at LP. The UWW
promoters took the hill and run up out of the last Sundays race, but kept the
direction the same as five weeks ago.
Only ten guys on the line for the 30+, absent were series leader Brian Contant
and second place finisher from last time here Gene Tolli. Ben Lund was back
after a one week hiatus. While we were "listening up" to Craig Heywood at the
start line, three horseback riders came up behind us on the trail. Craig told
them a bike race was going on and the riders replied, "they told us no one would
be here today". Hmmm, 60 degrees and sunny, a beautiful fall day and no one
will be at one of Southern WI best State Parks, right. They headed out
backwards on the course and Craig warned us to watch for them as we came around.
The race started slow, like it did last time here. Ben Lund, Marty Netzel
(winner last week), Paul Roltgen (my Brazen Dropouts teammate) Romi (a guy from
Madison I train with) and I lead it out over the first section of three barriers
and into the fields.
Romi was very noticeable today. He was sporting a rather large rusted steel
"chain guard" on the outside of his crank. Romi had dropped his chain twice
last Sunday at CamRock and put something on there to help keep the chain on. We
asked him about it before the race and he said he pulled the "chain guard" off
his electric stove that morning. He bolted one of those circular silver
things you see under the burner to his crank arm. I am not joking. It was
the ultimate hack job, second only to Graham Obree using washing machine parts
on his track bike to set the world hour record.
Romi must have been feeling confident in his rig because he attacked the group
on the first lap just before the barriers on the back side of the course. Paul
looked at me and wondered if we should try to stay with him, I shook my head no
as I thought his stove plate would burn up on him or he would be the first to
spook the horses and they would trample him.
Romi was riding hard for a lap and got nearly out of sight until the same spot
on the back side on the second lap when he was off his bike messing with his
chain. The stove plate did fail and the four of us passed him. Soon after that
he got back on and I hit my rear wheel on a root or a rock and heard the same
noise I did last week. I thought I had a flat again and bounced on it a little,
it felt like I could ride it back to the pit. I lost contact with the other
four guys and was about to stop to grab a wheel change, when I bounced on it
again and it felt good to go. Dave and Renee (CX friends) yelled at me to "get
back up there" and I did.
Midway through the race, Marty and Ben attacked the group a little bit and got
away from Paul and I. Romi had jammed his chain again, so he was off. Coming
around to the first set of barriers, Paul hit his front wheel on the first board
and the bike popped up in the air on him. I went through and he had to recover
from the bobble. I could still see Marty and Ben in front of me and Paul and
Romi behind me. Three laps to go.
Head down, I had to stay on a big gear to hold third place. I knocked my chain
off on the back side barriers hitting my crank arm with my knee. Ouch. Good
thing I was already off the bike cause I was able to whip it back on there
quickly. No more trouble from there for me and I was able to solo in for third
place.
Romi and Paul were duking it out just behind me though and it came down to a
sprint. Paul lead him through the curvy finish and just held him off at the
line. After the race, Paul discovered his front wheel was bent from hitting the
barriers. He probably would have caught me if his brakes weren't rubbing on the
bent rim.
Romi is going back to the drawing broad for a chain guard next week.
Lapham Peak Cyclocross Top 10 List
10. Warm, sunny weather and beautiful fall colors.
Okay, I actually prefer rain for racing but it's nice for the spectators.
9. Jerry jumping back in to race after fixing horrible chain suck .
. . and consoling himself after the race with two beers.
8. All the college kids who got out of bed early on a Sunday morning to
make the race happen.
7. Finding a cool coffee shop after finding out Mark David's is now
closed on weekends (that really sucks)
6. I have to say it again . . . but juniors, juniors, juniors.
Glad to see they keep coming back.
5. Recreational riders, runners, and horses surviving a day of
sharing the trail with cross racers.
4. Lapham Peak State Park for always being willing to allow cross
racing on short notice. I guess this is the fall back location when other
options fall through.
3. Myles losing his shoe in the barrier section during the
Junior race but putting it back on so he could keep racing. Cross racing
is full of challenges!
2. Top two C Women racing the A/B Women's race too.
1. Rami making a stove drip pan into a chain guard.