Photos by Mike Briggs
Ray Sielski posted to HIS Blog HERE...
...with Mark Briercheck and Kirk Morrison telling THEIR stories below:
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Mark says:
North Park, Pittsburgh, PA - Cold. Grey Skies.Rain. Mud.
Yeah...it's cross season!
With air temps in the 40's and rain all around, Ray Sielski, Kirk Morrison, Rich Allen, and I signed up for the 45 minute Masters/Sport Category in the Month of Mud North Park Cyclocross Race.
We were all optimistic that the noon start time would bring about the warmest temps of the day but as soon as we sat at the start line waiting for Gary to arrive with his coffee the rain started up again. The entree of the day was MUD with a side of groul and a dessert of muck!!!
Photo by Mike Briggs
Tires and tire pressure didn't matter because the whole course was like a skating rink. Traditional flat sections quickly turned into extended run ups because the mud was too thick and too deep to ride.
I hit the ground at least four times during the ride and easily added 2 or 3 lbs of mud to my bike on each crash. Besides the muck, the course was really great. Definitely not fast...but lots of challenges and a decent turnout of spectators despite the mess. I was eventually able to get into a groove. After crossing the line on the final lap I discovered the reason I was so exhausted - our entire drive trains and brakes were so clogged with mud that the wheels could barely move.
Photo by Mike Briggs
Yep - what an awesome day for a race!
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Kirk adds the following:
The mud on this course was quite extensive and quite a challenge which resulted in LOTS of running. In fact, most of my “passes” involved me running past riders who were struggling to “ride” the mud sections!
Photo by Mike Briggs
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The Results for the day were:
Masters - Sport Race
45 mins - 45 Starters Combined
Mark Briercheck - 8th Place Sport. 11th Place Overall
Photo by Mike Briggs
Rich Allen - 5th Place Masters. 19th Place Overall
Photo by Mike Briggs
Kirk Morrison - 6th Place Masters. 24th Place Overall
Photo by West Liberty Cycles
\Ray Sielski - 9th Place Masters. 33rd Place Overall
Photo by Mike Briggs
2 comments:
Mud is much softer than dirt ......
Spoken from experience with both ....
- Kirk
Nice write-up HD !!
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