Het Grote Ras Report

I missed the ride at lake Minnewasta, but I did enjoy the the big race in Bruxelles. 45 racers spun on the gravel roads covering both hill and dale. I bought an MCA citizen license this year and this was my first road race. The race started off with a blessing by the local priest who also sprinkled holy water on the group. There were 5 different groups riding between 1 and 3 laps based on bike choice and abilities. See the race results here. I battled hard for the win in the citizen class. The secret to my success was simple: speed + endurance + skill + luck + strategy + holy water = win. OK so maybe I was the only dude in the citizen’s category but that’s where my superior strategy put its foot in the door and said,” Just finish the race dummy”. I suppose I also won the less prestigious DFL title, so really I won twice! Not bad for my first road race. The trophy, gravel in a Mason jar, and biking shwag from Olympia were appreciated. When all the riding was done, the community hall hosted Belgian dancers, belgian beer stew/potatoes/carrots, and the awards ceremony. The community which doubled in size for the race, seemed to enjoy hosting the event. It was good to see Jon G, Kevin K, Brad the I, Craig, Adam, and other bicycle enthusiasts. It was a beautiful day for a ride. Very good times. JS