Ellas Report from Candlestick Cross #2

I think just about everyone hates racing at Candlestick Point. Its in the ghetto, hypodermic needles and broken glass abound (so youd better have your crappy tires on). The course is usually dead grass that gets torn up during the warm-up, which leaves the course as a deep sand pit thats totally unrideable in many places. The parking lot is full of shale thats so deep its a warm up just riding to the bathroom, and its ugly as heck. So, of course I raced.

I hadnt been on my cross bike since Fort Ord two weeks ago, so I didnt expect to do well, and I didnt. I did beat the Velo Bellas again, though, and Im racing faster than last year. Spectators keep telling me that I go a lot faster every lap as the race progresses, and I seem to finish feeling really strong, so I guess a good idea would be to WARM UP for a race one of these days. Next week Ill practice getting sweaty before my race and see if I cant keep up with the leaders for once!

The most interesting highlight of the Elite Mens race was Aaron Kereluk crashing out Cameron Falconer, which completely destroyed Falconers beautiful new Hunter bike, the delicate Foco Columbus tubing crumpling in six different places. Ive never seen such bike carnage! Falconer threw his bike off the course, earning him a new nickname ("Filled-with-Rage Falconer" now replaces "Punk-Ass Kid"), but accepted a spare single-speed and finished his race, to the delight of his fans throwing a big-air tabletop at the biggest hill each lap, and crossing the finish line on a wheelie.

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