Providence Cyclocross 2011 - Ryan Hoff makes his debut!

After watching his dad on last weekend's course in Gloucester, 13 year-old Ryan Hoff reportedly said to himself, "I'd better hop into this sport and restore the reputation of the Hoff family name!"

Young Ryan did just that -- he debuted in front of a capacity crowd in Providence on Saturday.  Aboard his new Redline Conquest, he managed to work his way past several Cat3 women in the field that started 2 minutes before him!  

The kid was flying so fast, photographers had to speed up their apertures just to catch him on camera.  The kid ended up racing for close to 30 minutes -- a gut buster for anyone -- and took home 12th place!

What we like even better is that he listed his team as "Weston Posse."  Awesome.  The kid oozes coolness.  

The warm-up event for Ryan's junior race was the old guys race.  The sun was out, the course was fast and some turns were downright slippery as Crisco.   This is one beautiful park and one awesome course:

Fred, Bill and I lined up mid- to back of the back and the gun went off for yet another uphill start (I much prefer the downhill starts!).  But, in my 5th race, I'm beginning to catch on.  Big ring this week, sprint hard for the hole shot.  Boom, I found myself passing guys.

Until we hit the first turn -- then the attempts to pass got ugly.  I got elbowed, both sides, at the same time!

Don't elbow an Irishman.

It ticks us off.

So, I returned the favor on the next turn and then gunned it (Irishman know how to deal and then run).  Two turns later, an off-camber 90-degree turn on crisco-mud sent half the field cart-wheeling over the fence.  Elbow guy #2 went flying off right in front of me.  Sorry kid, cheaters proof.

Meanwhile, Bill and Fred were duking it out on the course.  Bill always seems to be smiling for the photos.  Oddly enough, he's fasting on race day (Yom Kippor) and still smiling (and racing fast).  Apparently 'cross counts as atonement (Steve, can we get a ruling on that?).

I found myself in a group of five guys who were pushing hard to move up.  We did the final lap and a half all together and as we were flying down the backside of the course, I planned a passing move with about a half-KM to go.  Cut to the inside of the steep uphill turn, I thought.  Coming into the corner, everything was going to plan.

Cut to the inside, come by four guys....BAM.  Hit tree.  Head on.  Large Oak.  It didn't move.  I did.  Ouch.

Hopped back on and could hear a guy closing on me while I tried to get a rhythm going again.  Decided to sprint with him for the line and because I had very little gas left, could sense I was going to be on the downside of this transaction.  Turned out he had even less.    Finished this race 36 spots better than last week.  Now just a few dozen more to go for the podium!

Here's a great video of the course Bill, Fred and I raced.  Not my video (sorry for the confusion last week), but this will give you a great sense of how well Ryan did in his first race.  Not an easy course!


Providence Cross 2011 Day 1 from Bob T. on Vimeo.

Next up:  Canton.  Join us!

Rain, Mud and Smiles -- Cyclocross is here!

What if the Super Bowl were in town and you got to play a game in full pads a couple of hours before the real game started?  Each fall, the world's best riders descend on a seaside park in Gloucester, Mass (yes, that one -- made famous in "The Perfect Storm").   They let us amateurs race the course a few hours before the pros.  Add in some rain, mud and wind and you've got perfect conditions for cylocross.   The Super Bowl field was ours for the morning.  And it was a blast.  

"What the heck is Cyclocross?", you ask.  Think road bike, with almost mountain bike tires, a course 90% off-pavement (mostly grass), with obstacles you have to get off your bike and sprint through (while schlepping said bike).  In this case, the course was old-school:  12 forced dismounts including a mud wall (see above) and the worlds longest stair case in a cross event.  

The idea is that you're red-lining, bitter taste in the throat for the better part of an hour.  The fifth time up that staircase and my head was spinning.  Literally.  

This was my first race last year and it hooked me.  This year, I hood-winked Bill and Fred into buying 'cross bikes and trying this out.  

My race went off at 8a, theirs at 9a.  I made a rookie mistake at the start.  Thought I was in the big ring.  Wasn't.  Gun goes off and I'm spinning like a blender while 50 guys pass me.  Won't do that again.

This year's course was extra twisty.  No real straightaways to pass guys.  

Want a feel for it?  Here's the video of my race:

Bill, passing guys like they're standing still:

Bill through the sand pit safely:

Bill up the barriers:

Fred flying up the mud wall:

Fred through the sand:

Fred, Bill and Fred's son Ryan at the finish (already talk of next week's race!):

Muddy:

Next week:  Providence!!