Hey, Ladies!

In 2008 the Proctor Cycling Classic directors, in order to boost up the number of racers from the previous year's six, increased the prizelist for the Womens P12 race to $1000 - four turned up.

This year, with a still substantial $500 purse on offer, exactly zero P12 riders registered. That's a big round duck egg. Does anybody care? It's pretty clear that Women's racing in IL is in a parlous state, but when not one rider bothers to come to the State Championship - is it worth rescuing? For shame, Ladies! Weak!

O'Fallon Grand Prix

At EvilDan's request - I conducted extensive interviews with all of Proctor's racers today.

Here are the results:

Masters 40+ open:
Me: "How'd you do Greg?"
Greg S.: "First there were seven in the break, then we were six, then we were five, then we were four after the guy went into the ditch. then we were three after we dropped the guy who wouldn't work, coming up the hill we were two, coming around the bend to the finish we were one - that was me"

Cat 3:
Greg: "Dan, were you in that crash?"
Dan D: "Greg, I WAS the crash!"
Matt B (regretfully): "Yeah, Dan WAS the crash"

Cat 4:
Chris S. (on being caught by the Cat 4/5 pack)
Me:"Come on, Chris!"
Chris: (mutters something incomprehensible about younger women, gray hairs, inadvisability of riding a new bike for the first time in a race and how he definitely is NOT entitled to race as a Master).

Masters 50+ Open
Gary Doering: "So Dan, would you prefer to be dropped on the hill or in the sprint?"
Dan H.: "You can drop me in the sprint please, Gary"

Cat 4/5
Me (to XXX racer):"Wanna try a breakaway?"
XXX racer: "No thanks. I think I fancy my chances in the sprint"
Me (to Wild Card racer): "C'mon dude! Let's push it! Just gutter these guys and we can fight it out!"
Wild Card racer: "Thanks but no thanks. I'd much rather wait for the sprint"
Me: (with 7 miles to go):"Come on! We got six and a thirty yard gap into a headwind. Grab my wheel and let's go! There's no way we can get caught!"
Other five: "Very much obliged, but we're feeling optimistic about the sprint"
Post-race
Jason R: "I was feeling good for the sprint but I got caught behind that crash with 3 miles to go"
Tim L: "I was waiting for the sprint but I cramped"
XXX racer: "I spent so much energy trying to catch the two guys who broke with a mile to go that I had nothing left and came last in the sprint"
Wild Card racer:"After my teammate broke I sprinted as hard as I could for the podium spot, but all these guys who had done nothing during the race came around me and they were just way faster"
Me: "I got in a race with 35 sprinters and 1 diesel"

Women's Open
Vanessa: "Woo! Show us your kit, David! Woo! I think that guy's naked over there! Woo! I got second!"