GRAVEL CHAMPS

The Team
promoted the
State Gravel Championships
Just outside of Landon Beachy's place near Kolona.
Richard Gilmore was the race promoter
with great help from Mark Beatty and Landon
The Amvets building provided a good staging area
Caroline, Susie and family were at the registration table.

Getting ready for the first race

They are off

Great rolling course
very little gravel and a lot of good rollers
Landon winning the silver in the Mt Bike CatJohn winning the 60+ catAnd Kat wins the Women's 40+ Cat
Staging the second race
A spectacular day for a race on the gravel

Our young friend and former Teammate Kevin Temple
was looking for the win
until he double flatted

Mark Beatty leading the big pack early in the race.
Mark went on to win the gold in the always good 40+ group

Richard racing with the tandem and another 50+ racer - Doc Hopson
Richard earned the bronze medal in the age group

Corner Marshal Robin Gilmore and friendsMY STORY
some of it
My second race was the 50+ race with 4 of us going for the 3 medals.
Early there was a big surge and two of my 50+ guys didn't make the break
and I was way too tired from the first race to chase all the young guys heading up the road.
In the second of four laps it was down to me and Mike Giudici going for the bronze medal.
We caught up with Thad Paiser - racing in the Cat - 3's
He was the only racer in that group and was just riding along enjoying the day.
Thad was once one of the best sprinters in the state.
During his time in Waverly/Cedar Falls
while he was racing on the Midwest Cannondale Team
Thad was practically impossible to beat in a sprint.
Thad and his teammates always made riding and racing interesting and fun.
Thad and Lee V and our local guys had a lot of very fast Tuesday/Thursday workouts.
And we would frequently end up at the same events.
A good solid respectful relationship was established.
I remember several races where Thad and Lee would let me go down the road
while they sat up and all the other racers waited for their move.
Great fun.
Thad joined Mike G and me for the ride to the end.
Here's one of the good parts.
I had some chain difficulties and I asked Thad if he'd stop with me while I fixed the problem.
No hesitation
Mike took off like any good racer would - going for that bronze
And Thad and I went on the chase with Thad doing most of the work.
We caught Mike
Thad dropped off the pace.
It was Mike and me going into the third lap
Below is Thad


The other good part
There was one really fast downhill with a curve at the bottom
and a bridge in the middle of the curve.
I decided to take the whole thing as fast as possible and see would would happen.
Right before the bridge I looked under my arm
and saw that I had made some time of Mike
It really wasn't an attack
it was just messing around with speed and a curve and a bridge.
And than there was this car.
The result of over reacting to the car
which really wasn't a threat
was a spectacular high speed crash/slide/tumble
Mike and the car guys picked me up and wash off the bloody parts.
I was OK and sent them on their way.
And along come Thad and you guessed it
we rode in together and talked
bikes/jobs/family/memories
It is good to have solid relationships.
John

Results can be found HERE