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Cycling Fri Mar 26 2010
One Last Crit
If you spent any time outside yesterday you were undoubtedly blown and tossed about by that nasty wind from the north. Plain awful to walk in, the wind was even worse to ride a bike in. And racing a bike in that business? You've got some issues.
But hey, lots of folks dedicated to racing their bikes (or lacking a good amount of common sense) lined up to race the Thursday edition of the Gapers Block Crits in Calumet Park. The report goes that going in the starting stretch, speeds of 35-38 mph were seen; going back north, it was down to 10-13 mph. Such is the nature of wind in bike racing -- it's an equalizer and a killer.
Ronit Bezalel of Half Acre said, "[...]My pace crept down into the single digits while the wind whipped me like its personal toy."
One more night of racing, tonight, remains. The wind's not so bad, but the chill in the air is if you're standing around. Bring a coat and check it out.
On other notes: The Chicago Area Mountain Bikers group is hosting a workday at the Palos trail system tomorrow. The harsh Chicago winter has done a number on the trails -- and to get them in working order takes some shoveling and raking. Bring your bike, help out.
NBC Universal Sports is broadcasting on-demand lots of racing from the UCI Track World Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark. Check out the action here.