Glitter Legs! Now With More Sparkle!

This New Year, I spent it racing. Racing cross at the Chicago Cross Cup's New Years Resolution. Man was it fun. Being a special New Year race, I decided to bust out the embro and fancy it up with glitter. This time I came prepared with all three levels of DZ Nuts InHeat and dishsoap to wash the stuff off when I was done. Becky raced first, and at the start of her race it was sunny and 47 degrees. So some medium temp InHeat it was. With a boat load of glitter. Red and silver. Everything was going fine until during the race before mine, the temp dropped 20 degrees and I was now wishing for the high heat InHeat. It seems there is a time and a place for the hot stuff, and it was now. But too late for that. It is race time. We got staged by our cyclocross.com points, which I have very little of, so I was in back. I kinda like the back. I get to pass more people. Those folks in the front usually are faster than me.


30 seconds...

Go!

The start is down pavement (I like this about UCI races), around the cart path and onto the golf course. Yes, we are racing on a golf course. Fast, flat, and with all the rain and temperatures staying above freezing, very muddy. We tore the up this course really good like. Some huge mud pits formed around the bike pit and continued to grow as dirty bikes got power washed. Mud is fun. But as I learned a race ago, Red cassettes suck in the mud. And I forgot to swtich mine out. So by the second lap, I was down to two usable gears in the back. My granny gear, and 7. Other than that I could switch in front. For most of the course it was doable. But for the pavement it was time to stand and deliver the big ring and 7 to not get passed. This was becoming more and more easier for me, seeing as I quit smoking and could now actually breathe while I was racing. Hot damn! What a difference oxygen makes.

Get up, stand up. Stand up on your bike.

And for the first time racing all season. I didn't get lapped by those fast dudes. My last race (Afterglow) Barry Wicks & Super Fast SRAM Guy got me right before the finish. I was a lap down, but it looked like I came in 3rd. I'll take that.

Bill Draper takes badass pictures. Check out his work.

I love cross. Looking forward to next season already.

Chicago Cross Cup #5 Carpentersville, IL.

What a great course! So much fun! Mud, rollers, water crossings, sand, sweet corners, and a beer garden. This is cross.

This year the rollers had an add on of farm field full of mud. Thick, sticky, clay filled, mud. Gave the earlier races hell. Hell being fun in cross. We surely do enjoy the suffering. And suffer we did. Everyone on the team put in their best and had a good time doing it.

Katie Tom was sporting her leaders jersey after becoming the overall points leader for the Women’s Cat 4 last race. Brandon held his own in the Cat 3 race. I almost got to finish my second 1/2/3 race. Only getting lapped by the top 4 riders. Great job fast SRAM dude. Mumford was in the top 10. Get some.

But mostly, I can just say, THIS COURSE ROCKS!

Here are some pictures. And thanks to our sponsors!

Village Cycle Center, Trek Bicycle Corp, SRAM, Sidi, Giro, Gore Bike Wear, Tifosi, and Saris Cycling Group.

Mud creek crossing. Photo credit to: Ben Van Couvering

Mud covered rollers.

Kinky Llama Racing base camp and heckle corner

Katie sporting her fancy yellow jersey!

Becky powering around heckle corner

Mumford moving through the corn field faster than Malachi.

Brandon avoiding someone during their prayers to the mud rollers. Photo credit: Bill Draper

Race report was cut short. More to come soon. Have a great day! Go ride your bike.

Chicago Cross Cup #4 Wauconda (Psycho Cross)

What a great weekend for cross. And day one of the two, brings Psycho Cross.

Saturday is a power course at Psycho Cross, and also my first venture into Cat 1/2/3. I figured, what the heck. Whats the worse that could happen? Man, oh, man. That was a good time. And by good time, I mean pure suffer.

Giant flyover!

It was sunny, but  holy crap was it windy. The noise from the flapping course tape was thunderous as you rode the course, and coming into a headwind across a farm field sure put a burn in your legs. This course is a speedway. Mostly flat with a giant flyover. Not my cup of tea, but what else would you want to do on a weekend off work aside from ride your ass off? Turned out that Brian Matter  had the same idea. This dude is fast. Fast as fast is. And after 40 minutes of hauling my ass around the golf course and over the giant fly over, I was pulled. Placed 19/25 but at least was the first Cat 3. Still fun, but now my goal is to race a 1/2/3 and not get pulled.

Bad ass indeed.

Enough about me, there was also a good showing from the rest of our team. Our Pretty. Fast. Becky Welbes came out with her new socks on and rode her bad ass off.

Holding her own with the fastest ladies in the Chicago Cross Cup series, she placed 8th.

Brandon Murphy came out for the Cat 3 mens race and had as

Brandon passing out of the corner! Go B go!

much fun as a chimpanzee riding on a segway.

It’s a long, fast  course. And after it was all over. B got a 45.

Good job sir. Keep up the weekly dose of suffer.

Katie Tomarelli rode her bike like a pretty woman possessed. And landed a 5th place finish for the Women’s Cat 4 race.

We can’t forget about Alex Blom, new to cross and bike racing, holding her own in the Womens Cat 4 race and finishing with a very respectable 13th place finish.

I would like to give a special great job to Meghan Murphy-Gill. WEEOOOOOOO! 

Kinky Llama Racing peoples.

 I would like to give the usual thanks to our sponsors:

Village Cycle Center, Trek Bicycle Corp, SRAM, Sidi, Giro, Gore Bike Wear, Tifosi, and Saris Cycling Group.

As well as a BIG, FAT, thanks to Ted Schweitzer and everyone else who worked to make Psycho Cross a good time.

Race Report for Chicago Cross Cup #2 Hopkins Park, DeKalb

Twas a great day for cross, and all through the park, not a single person was quite, not even a mouse. The day started out a bit on the chilly side, but turned out to be an amazing day for a good time in the dirt.

Brandon Murphy leading off in the Men – Cat 1/2/3/4 – Masters – 30-99 landing in 43. Great job to Brandon, achieving his personal goals and having a good time doing it.

Go Brandon Go!

For the Women – Cat 1/2/3 our she speed demon, Becky Welbes, was on the sidelines recovering from kicking some major lady booty at USGP. A bit sad to not to be doing what she loves, she was a still there to be a great support to the rest of the team and was very enthusiastic in her heckling. Thanks Becky!

Men – Cat 3 went off next, which included our Paul Mumford in his last race as a 3. Ol’ Mumford took the hole shot and never looked back. Aaron Voreis and Chase Negley shared the podium with Mumford and stared with silly grins and Mumford did his thing. Spinning and dancing while chanting “Take pictures, take pictures!”

"Take pictures, take pictures!"

Following Cat 3 Men was the Cat 4 Women. Katie Tomarelli was up front with a call up and in the mix Alex Blom was ready for her very first cross race. An amazing race for all the women, with Katie Tomarelli taking turns leading the pack. Katie Tomarelli finishes off on the podium in 2nd place and Alex Blom coming in at 11! Holy shit our women are fast!

Alex, Katie, & Becky. Pretty. Fast.

Men – Cat 1/2/3 saw Mumford going at it again. Racing for an hour. Suffer baby, suffer. After already racing once for 45 min decided to go at it again for a bit longer. Finishing the race in 11th place overall, he was 2nd for the Cat 3′s. Not too shabby.

Mumford climbing the stairway to GET SOME!

Men – Cat 4 saw a few of us Kinky Llama Racing folks starting off. Anthony Mikrut, Brandon Murphy, Tyler Cox, Pablo Ternes, and John Felke. It was a good time to be had by all. Llama’s first race of the season and Tyler’s first CX race on an actual cross bike. A little tangle up ended up with an imprint of a drop bar on the chest of Anthony Mikrut, but no one was hurt, and much fun was had. Results are as follows Anthony Mikrut – 36, Brandon Murphy – 49, Tyler Cox – 63, Pablo Ternes – 68, and John Felke – 86.

Barriers done with style.

Men – Cat 4b followed right after, and a few of us came to party one more time. Brandon in his 3rd race for the day. Wasn’t able to finish due to losing a tire on a jump, yes a jump. How can you not hit a jump if it is in the course.

Llama "getting some"

4b’s was done with much fun. Cowbells being smacked, flyovers being flown, and hecklers heckling.

Flyover, llama style.

In the 4b race we saw another visit from one of our favorite people on two wheels, Erik D. Mann. More enthusiasm comes from Erik than the whole Dolphins cheerleader squad. Completing two laps and another personal goal. We look forward to Erik at all cross races. The 4b race results are as follows: Anthony Mikrut – 7th, Pablo Ternes – 63, Erik Mann – DNF (we don’t care), Brandon Murphy – DNF (from getting some).

Last, but not least. Our star heckler and favorite Gore Bike Wear rep (sorry Simon), Brenden Gecik headed out for the OUILSSSCXC 2011. Hay bails and picnic tables proved interesting obstacles during the race. And Brenden pulled through all the heckles back with a big ass smile. If I could find the results for that race, I would post them. When I do, I will change it.

We would like to thank all of our sponsors for their continued support and truly solid products that allow us to perform as well as we do. Village Cycle Center, Trek Bicycle Corp, SRAM, Sidi, Giro, Gore Bike Wear, Tifosi, and Saris Cycling Group.

I would also like to send out a very special thank you to Liz Sapp. She was on the grill and taking pictures of the team. What a fabulous person to have supporting the team. Big smile and a giant heart. We love her.

The original post can be found on our teams site www.kinkyllamaracing.com.