Zach Koop Memorial Crit: the Introduction
I would like to think that, for just about every person who spent their Sunday at the Zach Koop Memorial Criterium at Orchard Beach, there was a moment where they at least ever so slightly questioned their sanity. I certainly questioned my decision making more than once during the many hours spent in the rain, perspective that I assume was shared with any number of our forty volunteer marshals who spent some portion of Sunday working the event. Which is to say nothing of our racers - charging around the 0.53 mile loop with the spray peeling off the wheel in front of them and diving into water soaked corners, all with chilly temperatures hovering around 50 degrees. Given the conditions it is not a surprise that our no show rate for registered racers wavered around 50% for much of the day. But despite the rain and light turnout, it turned out to be a pretty terrific day of racing. Small fields meant more dynamic tactics, with breakaways the rule of the day rather than the exception.
For TBD we had our share of DNS’s, but we were also out in force at the race: Alvaro, Jonathan and Scott were kept busy with Race Directing, while much of the rest of the team came out to hang out and snap a few photographs. Over the next few days as we filter through our images we’ll be sharing them on the Journal, along with some behind the scenes perspective from Alvaro as a first time Race Director. In the meantime we’ll leave you with a few preview images of what is to come this week on the TBD Journal.
A New York City based cyclist and sometimes photographer. Part adventure rider, part crit racer, and fully obsessed with an English bulldog named Winifred.
Instagram: @photorhetoric
E-mail: matthew@tobedetermined.cc
