Hodala in July
On the right side of this camper, beer comes out, when you pull those levers
Hey the Tour is over and it’s time for Cross! Last week I was at the Midsummer Nights Cross race and it was Hodala in July.
Anytime is Cross
The Hodala crew (Hodala is a Taiwanese toasts that means to the bottom) with their Camper of Brew, would race cross anytime, anywhere – year-round Cross racing if they could. Of course, the biggest field was Single Speed and I lined up with them. As soon as we hit the cow pasture, I knew I’d made a bad choice on gearing, but that’s cross and the Hodala Prince comforted me afterwards by saying he ran a 50 X 18.
The Hodala Prince, Matt Pelman. He lapped me, out drank, and out geared me too
Joey Mullan’s bike with spent beers
That didn’t make me feel any better, but a cup of Schooner Exact did and just like any Cross race I went as hard as I could until someone told me to stop. That was Terry with this sign and the last lap could not have come sooner.
Lap board
Funny later too when the Ministry of Nuun asked me if I normally ran my saddle pointed to the sky. Nope. It had slipped. I didn’t ask everyone there, but think the consensus was, “great course, not on form yet, but whatever.” As I wrote earlier, the race was Raleigh’s show and they may bring it back in 12. If they do, I’m there and will race my bike like a tractor through cow pastures again.
Suffer Faces
The race and this photo also introduces our new Suffer Faces blog. We’ll post the best suffering from the races there this Fall. I’ll have my own contorted face tomorrow in Park City, where I’m blogging Dealer Camp and racing Short Track.
More Photos
Check Flickr for more photos, including local-pro Russie winning
Russie dropped everyone and rode into the win
and rooster tails on the descent.
A tough descent if you took the wrong line