Something's brewing in the Midwest

From the United Federation of Dirt

NEW MOUNTAIN BIKE SERIES PROMISES BIG THINGS TO COME!

COLUMBIA, MO: A newly formed group of seasoned mountain bike promoters
is proud to announce its intentions to promote a down and dirty
mountain bike series in 2010. The groups will be named United
Federation of Dirt. Included in this impressive group are some of the
region’s most experienced race promoters dedicated to delivering
racers a series that is all about fun and grassroots racing. This
collaboration will deliver a true Regional series that will include
races from Cape Girardeau, MO all the way to Perry, KS. Full Details
will be available shortly but expect great things and great locations
across Missouri and Kansas. We are finalizing the details shortly but
one thing can be guaranteed – fun in the dirt is what it is all about!

                                               ###

Whatever it is, we're looking forward to it!

It only takes 20 dollars to make me hollar!

So two of our fearless heros made the journey up to Lincoln for some CX action.
Dubas and Stamper lined up for the 3/4's race, and managed to duke it out on a beautiful fall afternoon.

Pictures via Michael Dixon's Public gallery
I got a good start about 5th with zack right behind me as we got through the first half lap.
Schumaker was in front of me, until I slipped around him on the screaming descent down hooligan hill (yes it is as awesome as it sounds ......... bacon handups) After a lap or two I realized that zack was not gonna be with me as he had taken a couple of diggers.

I managed to get up to Gilhousen and said "lets go" as we started the flat wide open paved section. I pulled for a couple laps, and then Matt came around. About this time I realized that the great white Cornbread was upon us, crushing it on his SS after starting 15 seconds after us........he is not human.
Gilhousen got a 3 second gap on me after a bit, but took a nasty fall after overcooking a corner and getting caught in the tape and stakes.

I managed to keep it upright for the rest of the race to finish in the money!
20 dollars to make me hollar!
I was talking to zack after the race about his wrecks, and turns out hes was running like 60 psi in his tires! Something about pinch flats..........we are gonna work on incorporating finesse into his cycling repertoire. with clinchers I can safety run 35 psi without things getting to squirrely.
Lord knows, Zack puts out alot more watts than I do!
Thanks to Troy, Craig, Matt, Monkey Wrench, Lincoln Industries, , and all of the hooligans on the hill for making it a great race.
Results are here
Corey had a good video of the 1/2/3 race and the antics on hooligan hill

Lincoln Cyclocross 2009 from Cornbread on Vimeo.

In other, less glorious news I only have another few weeks of torture with Himmler

Deep in the pain cave I can hear Dwight Yokum!

The lab technicians get pretty pissed when I (try to) sing along to classic country music through the flow tube when my HR is at 170. Nothing gets me to that 400 watt mark like Waylon Jennings!

De Stad Cup Mudfest

Sunday's De Stad Cup was the first "real" cyclocross race of the season, in that there was mud, rain and frigid temperatures.

While surveying the course I thought, "this could be a race where one could launch an attack off the line and hold it for the remainder of the race."

The 3/4 men raced last. By then, the course was thoroughly churned and rutted. Patches of grass lined the edges, but deep, slimy, mud ruled the day. If you could get some distance between you and the field, you could put some serious time on the field while fellow racers jockeyed for position through the first slippery turns.

As we were lining up Cycle City racer, Chris Hershey looked at me and said, "this is the guy that's going to win it today." I assume he thought my background as a mountain biker would play a pivotal role in the muddy onslaught that was about to begin. 

Not only did I prove him wrong, I made him eat his words.

I managed to get my first solid start of the season, came off the line in first place and appeared able to get the hole shot. If I could ride clean through the first few turns, I might have a chance at staying away. Then reality set in — as I reached the apex of cobblestone section my legs and lungs were done. 

 Fellow Bad Goats John Waller, Aaron Apel and myself spent the race slipsliding across the course, finishing low in the standings but in high spirits.

Results can be found here.
Series standings can be found here.

Thanks again to Miss Jaime Atkinson for shooting video in the cold and wet!

Hershey, on the other hand, had the audacity to surge through the field and stay off the front for the remainder of the race, winning by a healthy margin over rest of the mud-covered 3/4 men. In the process Chris picked up his second win of the season. Well done sir.

CX under the lights at Heartland Park

First, Big Shout out to Jeff and all the Series 60 folks that made this event happen. It awesome to see that we are able to have these great races at venues that are really nontraditional. And make no mistake, there probably is not a lot of spandex seen at a normal Heartland Park event.

We saw 5 bad goats gruff roll in for the 3's race, and got to see our friends from Nebraska had made it down. Craig, Troy, and Matt of Lincoln Industries were all looking strong in the Masters and open class, and Nate Woodman, proprietor of Monkey Wrench Cycles, also laying it down in the open class. Shad put in another great open race and is always in the mix.

We lined up for the 3's race about 30 deep and went off with a bang. Things quickly got sketchy in the series of 180 degree turns before we got spit out onto the dirt track. It was screaming fast.

Patterson put together some great video



Patterson, Dubas and Stamper made up the bulk of the first chase group for the first 4 laps,

before Patterson blew the group apart with a surge with just under 3 to go.

Tanner and Aaron got caught in the traffic in the first lap, and were fighting traffic the whole race.





Dubas (below) tried to make the bridge up to Patterson, but blew up in the process.

He was still feeling the effects of his total domination Dirty Apple alley cat the night before.

Stamper (above) bides his time and made a move on the last lap to sneak into 7th place, while Patterson(below) held off all challengers for 5th.


Two big thumbs up for night racing.


Big thanks to Mel, Mina, and Jaime for the pics. We definitely had the loudest fans out there. Nothing like having Mina screaming, "Go uncle Dumpy!" every time you come around

Alleycat Aftermath

The 2009 Dirty Apple Alley Cat was a success. About 80 riders streamed out of triangle park to checkpoints across Manhattan.

The checkpoints included: Besting a fellow racer at Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat before proceeding; running through the isles of Hyvee to check the price of a case of Jones Soda; and taking a headshot, stomach shot or slap in the face...you choose.

 Twhet getting everyone registered

Mark Smelser bought the pain train

SNES Competition (pics ripped from Facebook)

How bad to you want to win?

Headshot!

 

Post race party

Fellow Bad Goat Zach Dubas, right, took the win

Big thanks to Twhet and Thomas Krap for organizing this event, and thanks to the sponsors who supported it: Chrome Bags, Salsa Cycles, Surly Bikes, All-City, Velocity USA, El Duke Degreaser, Tallgrass Brewery and Chipotle.

Photos from the Dirty Apple can be found at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/thedirtyapple/

So I had a little time on my hands this evening...

A big thanks to Miss Jaime Atkinson for shooting the video.