Where's the Beach? Report

Operación MUERTO began on Sunday in Stead. We are declaring it mission accomplished for the Dark Side. You will recall that the goal of this assignment was described as follows: "This notoriously demanding mission is dedicated to the task of cultivating an essential, if somewhat paradoxical, character trait of the successful cyclocross racer, namely the desire to keep riding hard even when things really start to suck." There was a lot of suckage. It sucked early and often. Cousin Adam got lost. Jonny G's legs seized up. I hurled. But we kept riding. And desiring. And in Jonny G's case, at least, we even kept smiling.



So it is safe to say that the three of us are just a little big closer to being prepared for cyclocross season. JP and Charlene did not appear to suffer any significant suckage. JP finished second overall and Charlene was the fastest woman in the 66 km race. That is good too. We are not opposed to finishing on he podium. Some might be concerned that this absence of relative suckage might come back to bite them in the ass come October. But we are confident those two will be okay.

This was also the first race of the SOB. The Impaler summed it up this way: "that was the hardest one yet."



Gianni rode the whole thing on a bike made for riding in winter. It was not winter. Not even close. So it seemed an odd decision. But those fffat tyres did have their place. His rig may have slowed him on the steep, loamy hills that Lindsay managed to carve into the course. But in the infernal 3km sandbox that closed out each lap, he just floated right over top.