JP Bevins started a hashtag project #WhatCrossMeansToMe . The projects purpose is to photo document this years cross shenanigans and what it means to you as a rider or observer. Each BAMAcross event I’m at this hashtag project always goes through my mind and I ask myself ‘how am I going to capture the vibe’. Sometimes that comes a bit easier than other times. Take yesterday for instance. I felt great racing! Like… really great. It was weird. Normally after lap 2 I’m breathing like a zombie and look about the same. Not yesterday. The course played to all my strength. Tight technical corners with short powerful climbs. So… all this being said, I was pretty sure I podiumed. The CAT C 35+ were mixed in with our group so I couldn’t really tell where I was at exactly, but I knew I wasn’t doing horrible.
After I race I normally head right back to change, grab my cooler filled with post race fun time, and prepare to capture people’s pain. But I was amped to find out if I podiumed or not, so I stuck around in my fresh FOLLY kit and The Athletic airport carpet socks hoping I could share in standing were racers before me have jugged beer while raising their hands in glory! Due to my delay in changing I didn’t get to capture the first lap of CAT A x B’s (most aggressive lap of the day). But I did get to hang with these two goons.
Adam McAnulty and Robert Prieto came up from Florida to race yesterday. Two really great dudes that rip. Adam (that asshole) is fast. So fast in fact that he passed me and one other fella that was way ahead, securing him a solid 2nd place finish. Why did I call him an asshole you ask… Um, because if he hadn’t raced I would have nabbed 3rd and podiumed for the first time! All kidding aside it was great racing with Adam and Robert. Robert runs a site called Scarcity. You should definitely go take a look see at that. My hope is that Robert, Adam and I will come together with a racing event in the near future. Oh… fun fact about good ol’ Robert… yesterday was his second time on a geared bike. He’s been tried and true to track bikes for many moons. With all his shifting issues and thrashing of barriers… he ended up flatting out. If that hadn’t happened, he would have been right on my tale if not passing me as well.
No race is complete without capturing Davis with his game face on. He had a tough go yesterday. Rolled a tubular, had to pit to swap wheels and couldn’t get back in it. But… he’s never in bad spirits. I had the pleasure of handing him a brewski and smiles were had.
So, what does cross mean to me? It means thrashing through the woods, diving deep into the pain that is cross and cheersing with friends over beers afterwards.
Check out more #WhatCrossMeansToMe via Instagram and feel free to contribute. I’d love to know what cross means to you.
