The night was cold and eerie and the fog was dense as I prepared for what was to be a blood thirsty night out on the race circuit. I grabbed my cape and tied it tight around my neck and rolled down the street it the pitch black. After a few of pedal strokes I vanished into the night air taking flight as I made my way over to the one and only "Spooky Cross." Little did these top notch dirt junkies know the mayhem that was about to ensue on them.
I took my place on the starting grid moments before the starters gun was shot and then we were on our way. The pace was intense right out of the gate and I held my position well for the first half lap. I quickly started to take down my victims in a blood sucking display of power and finesse on wheels. I had my eye on the top contenders until I lost traction on a dirt embankment while attempting to ride up it. I quickly exited off my bicycle and ran up the steep pitch trying to keep close proximity to the leaders on the track. I thought I had flung my cape out far enough before trying to remount my bicycle but I was painfully mistaken
Somehow the cape managed to catch just below the tip of my bicycle seat giving me the biggest wedgie this side of Transylvania. After a bit of lycra burn and the fact that my cape started to strangle me from getting caught up on my bicycle I was on my way again. By this time the leaders had a good 30-second advantage on me and it was time for Dracula to unzip the BMC jersey for better ventilation and go into hot pursuit. I started to make up ground quickly...maybe a little to quickly?
I crashed two more times and despite my best efforts I was faced with chasing the leaders for the rest of the race next to a hooters girl/guy with blond locks. One of the crashes was around a hairpin on wet grass and I'm pretty sure I took out whoever was next to me like a bowling ball knocking out a row of pins. The other was through a 20 yard sand pit that nearly sent me over the bars as I tried to maneuver through the bend in the middle section. If you look closely at the photos you'll notice that I completed the entire event with my fangs in. That's how you do it!
All in all it was a frightfully fun night filled with bands playing, a DJ, a beer garden, and a whole lot of male racers dressed in drag. That's probably what happens after wearing lycra for too many years. I can't wait till next years "Spooky Cross" since I am a Halloween baby and I expect to see every competitor in all the categories in costume next year.
12.06.2009 at 4:29 PM
Great photos....I've heard of "going out for blood" but this certain tops anything I've seen before.
Tony and Greg - thanks for sharing....