Adam McIntyre rocked BISSELL to a Cat 3 B Men Win, and the Overall Stomach of Anger Series Championship at the Big Bad Wolf on Sunday. (Photo Sarah McIntyre: see most of the photos featured here on Adam's FaceBook Big Bad Wolf Photo Album right here.
If you weren't there this will give you a thrill for the course, the race, and the power of the Big Mac. Now hang on for a lap of this years BIG BAD WOLF ...
Nice course, no great course. But they don't grow up out of the ground on their own.
Before we get blathering on about the racing and what the Bastards did, let's give a tip of the cycling cap to the promoters, Tri-City Cyclocross Racing, course designer JB Hancock, the Stomach of Anger Series, and race sponsor Midland Brewing Company that gave us such a great race and such a fun year of racing. Well done guys!
THE B RACE: FROM HOLE SHOT TO HELL AND BACK
Now on with the racing. The whole day could be summed up this way: Hole Shots and Match Racing. In the Big Mac's B race he could only take the Series Overall Title and a sweet Championship Jacket with an outright win. He was trailing the racer, Jim Hilditch, pictured below, by two points. But except for the State Championship, Adam hadn't had a better lap time than Jim all year long. Uh-oh.
In the first lap it was Mac with the hole shot, but then he was caught and passed after a crash. Here they are churning through one of several sand sections. Most were frozen, some were not.
They went at it like this for the first half of the race. Somebody had to crack. There wasn't any sitting in or bullshit racing. It was a throw down from gun to finish. Both guys wanted it pretty bad, and there was no cat and mouse by either one of them. They punched each other in the mouth beginning to end.
But Mac's speed over the barriers ...
Power through the turns ...
Had him crossing the line, hands in the air ...
And collapsing on his ass after acrossing the line with the win ...
And then heaving out a lung and what was left of his second breakfast ...
Before taking the top step of the podium and the Race Winner's Growler ...
And wearing one of these by the end of the day.
WOMEN'S CAT FOUR: TWO WEST SIDERS BATTLE IT OUT IN THE DEATH MATCH OF THE DAY.
Sarah McIntyre and Nancy Lange brought it race day and hammered every inch of that course, each one trying to rid themselves of the other from the starting straight ...
To the sandy beach ...
Over the barrier and through the woods ...
With crashes (for both of them) in the sand and the off camber crap ...
But still getting up, like Sarah's doing here ...
And getting back in the race ...
And turning the cranks like she has all year long, Nancy made it one of the toughest races of the year - right down to the very end ...
For Sarah all that hard work paid off with her first podium of the year. Both Sarah and Nancy looked damn near dead and ready to puke after crossing the line. It was a real sweet battle. Congrats to both Nancy and Sarah on a fantastic day of racing and a great year of cross.
MEN'S CAT 4 OVER 35: HOLE SHOT AND WHO THE HELL IS THAT GUY?
Finally a good start. Haven't done that since October. Got away. Got a gap. I think they thought I was kidding. I was riding pretty angry, as Big Mac will attest, so I was more serious than usual. I had a lead in the series to protect and I decided I wanted that damn crazy jacket. Maybe the rest of the racers just didn't want to be around me, who knows. Even though I got clear, though, just knew I was going to get caught sooner or later. But just when was the question.
I had it strung out pretty good by the time we hit the beach. But who the hell was that guy in white behind me? (Answer: Jeff Brown).
He caught me at one point, but I immediately came back around him in the woods. But the SOB refused to go away. Props to him, he never sat in, and neither did I. We attacked as soon as possible. He was a strong, class act on the bike.
Pretty soon though, even though he could ride across barriers I had to hop off to jump over, I started to pull a gap little by little. (Photo by Adam McIntyre)
Finally I had a clean wheel. I like this shot because what looks any better to any cyclocross racer than that damn 1 Lap to go card? Tell, me, what looks any better than that? (Photo by Adam McIntyre)
Well maybe this ...
Or maybe this big thing of beer. I couldn't have been happier with that ride after a month of so-so mediocrity.
WOMEN'S ELITE: CUPCAKE CRUSHES THE SERIES
Cupcake had a good ride, a top podium spot, and best of all - the Series Championship in the Women's Elite.
CAN YOU WIN EVEN IF YOU DON'T SHOW UP? SLAYER DID. DO YOU BELIEVE THAT SH*T?
In the Series drawing for this sweet FREE KHS Cyclocross bike, Jeff Haney won! We couldn't believe it. We thought he wouldn't either. So we tried to sell it. It's still in Midland Jeff, honest it is.
THE STOMACH OF ANGER SERIES CHAMPIONS
Each category had in a series champions, and each winner (Champions) received a Series Champion Jacket, pictured below. The series consisted five races with two STOMACH OF ANGER races in Lansing, MAD ANTHONY in Detroit, the RED ZONE race in Saginaw, and the BIG BAD WOLF race in Midland.
This is how Stomach of Anger promoted the series, by teasing you with this sweet jacket. Everybody wanted one. But the Bastards got most of them. Yeah we did ...
Surly, Cupcake and Big Mac modeling their Championship Jackets.
THE END OF THE MICHIGAN SEASON AND SAYING GOODBYE TO CYCLOCROSS FRIENDS UNTIL 2012
Well lest you think the last race of the year is all about winning shit, and collecting free stuff, and kicking asses just because you're having a good day, think again, think-againers. It's also a bitter sweet time when we say goodbye to our cyclocross friends. Some of them we won't see again until next year.
Nice job guys, well done. We need more team racing. Anybody want to put together a Crazy Bastard co-ed team for next year? Didn't think so. Well done guys ...
Also it was the last time we'll set up the Crazy Bastard Pit this year. We were getting well known for our well equipped digs. Think we brought enough crap?
Finally it was time for goodbyes. Osgood wanted to hug everybody before he left. Cupcake I can understand ...
But me? I dunno John ... something about this is wrong dude.
But wait, this never-ending blog isn't over yet ...
SO WHAT DID CUPCAKE DO TO CELEBRATE HER ELITE WOMEN'S STOMACH OF ANGER SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP?
Cupcake was head over heels over her new Championship Stomach of Anger Track Jacket ...
... And who wouldn't be. Anyway you look at it, it's so damn cool!
NOW FOR THE CUPCAKE SPECIAL CHAMPIONSHIP CUPCAKE PARTY VIDEO (NSFW)
(Watch but don't touch if you're at work. This is definitely NSFW (No Safe For Work You Idiots!)
(Special Bonus Big Bad Wolf Question: Guess who the cupcake eating guy is after the video is done playing.
Recognize him? Could it be the guy who has ridden more cyclocross race miles in Michigan than any other human ever, just in one year?
You decide ...
Naw. It's just our pal Bob W. He wasn't in the video. But he did race in more races than anybody, ever. And that's the truth.
What.... A..... Gem!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, it was a sight to behold Surly racing sunday... I thought he was going to chew somebodies leg off... I think 'Killer' may be a good way to describe how he looked