Bloomer Park Race Report & Video

Welcome to Bloomer Park. Track racing, mountainbiking, cylcocross, this is the place for bikes.

Great race on Sunday at Bloomer Park in Rochester. While I've liked this course in years past I never thought "it was all that." Until this weekend, that is. After a few brilliant tweaks to a few turns, and an "oh yeah" climb up the wall of the Velodrome (yeah they've got a Velodrome kids), this course came alive. I guess everybody knew that it was going to be super good this year, because there were loads of racers, and some great, I mean, great races to watch. The above video (by a member of Team Sandbag) was just the end of just a brutal slug-fest in the 35+ Masters. The Elite Women's, and Elite Men's race were also super fun to watch ... congrats to MacKenzie on another win(and surviving what I heard was spectacular first lap crash in the women's race and for being forced to run right over Anne, without going down, or hurting Anne)! It was a day packed with total cross fun and excitement.

Here's the overhead view of the S turn, a nice course feature this year. This is what it looked like standing with your back against the outside wall of the Velodrome.

Here's the S turn with some angry riders. Grrrrrrr, get outa mah weh! On the first lap of my race this thing was packed shoulder to shoulder, wheel to wheel.

Turn around form the S turn and this is what you'd see behind you ...

You could enter the Velodrome through this tube. But you could never come out.

The course was dotted on the front side with various team tents. Here's the digs of the World Famous Flying Rhinos. They enjoy their cross, and are dedicated to the sport. But I didn't see any beer kegs or cooler.

Another added dimension at this race was the rocking tunes and an announcer (who knows cross), calling every race. It keeps it exciting kids! If you're really good, or even kinda sucky chances are you'll hear your name.

Here's what that voice behind the speaker looks like. Yeah he's a handsome devil, isn't. That's Dave! And that's what he thinks ...

Andrea - looking excited, bewildered, or just tired. You decide.

Another big plus for the race series, and a source for a lot of the great photos I'm able to post up here from time to time is Andrea Tucker, of Tuckerbikes.com. Here's a bad photo of Andrea. You guessed it, she didn't take this one.

The man behind the Tailwind Series - Robert Linden. By the way that's not his trophy. He stole it. He told me so. I called the cops. Thank me later.

These ladies make registration a snap. They're also in part responsible for having race results posted in a matter of minutes after the race is done. Thanks for not making me wait in line in the morning, ladies, you rock!

Here's Lillian, of Tree Fort Bikes. If you'll notice in the registration shot she's in the middle. She works all morning and then races later in the day. She's like Superwoman, throwing on her cape when the work at the Daily Planet's all done.

Gordon. Keeping things under control and rolling smooth at the start finish line. When you see Gordy, you know its race time. When you see Gordy later, you'll also know exactly how many laps you've got to go. Sometimes I think he's kidding me. 6 laps? Come on, Gordo, really? Seriously? You think I can do that many more? Forget it ...

Back to the races. This is just some of the stuff you see on the start line. If you look closely, or just click on this photo to enlarge it, you'll see an engraved Maple Leaf on this chain guard. Wonder who would be rocking a Maple Leaf on their gear?

Yeah, a Maple Leaf racer. Those darn Canadians are so cool. Or cold. Depends on the time of year and the distance they live from the Arctic Circle. Makes me shiver just thinking about it.

Blue Socks. Blue Socks. Don't you look cool.

It's all about the socks. A young woman from the Half Acre Team (out of Chicago) brought some sweet socks to the line.

Another gal stepped up with these socks. I guess she's checking to see if her shoes fit. A little late, young lady.

Whether the shoes fit, or not, the socks certainly did.

MacKenzie after winning her second race in a row. She was so excited she almost flipped her lid.

Wait, she did flip her lid. Way to go MacKenzie!

Kim had another great ride, and another podium step to her credit. But what's that on her lip?

Just a little blood from trying so hard her head almost exploded. Or was it an elbow? Or a crash in the woods? In all that excitment she couldn'tremember: did I fire five shots, or did I fire six shots? I guess cross racing isn't for girls. Or is it? Nice job out there, tough gal!!!!

The Elite Women's podium. These ladies are fast! On their bikes, anyway.

My buddy Jan having a laugh as we watch the next bunch of suckers take off. Why is he laughing? We're done racing, that's why, and there's beer that needs to be drunk ...

The Team Sandbag tent. This is where you'll find the beer. I was sitting on the cooler as I shot this, sipping a cold one. It's amazing this sucker isn't more out of focus than it is. These guys have my vote for Best Cyclocross Team Ever. Now what could we give them for a trophy?

Knowing Team Sandbag the one on the left. A couple cases of it. The Leffe on the right is just too snooty, even if it is Belgy. These guys are real American Cyclocrossers.

Cupcake was missing in action ... if by "in action" you mean racing and humiliating her fellow racers with her rapier cupcake wit and artful heckling.

The last thought on Bloomer, and the question everyone kept asking me: WHERE THE FUCK IS CUPCAKE AND HER GODDMAN HECKLEHORN? You were sorely missed Cupcake. You and your f'ing hecklehorn. You get one weekend off, but that's it.

I'll post up some more professional photos of the race later - by the way Russ G (Maverick's Dad) was there and killin' it in the B race.

But more on that later ...