A Tough Go

This weekend was a big one for local(ish) racing in the MidAtlantic.

Saturday was Wilmington 2/3 for $2,000 and Sunday was BikeJam in Baltimore for some ca$h as well.

The fam and I packed in my sled to hit a case at Hershey Medical Center Friday afternoon then a straight shot to Wilmington.

The scheduled 1 hour drive became 2 as we hit rush hour outside West Chester on 100S. That sucked.

Rolled in to Hotel DuPont, got checked in, then to dinner. At check-in they gave us an envelope for racers staying at the hotel with some wristbands to a block party. We went and drank free beer. It was niiiiiice.

The next day I warmed up a bit in the hotel room then on the course for a while.

The gun went off and I went from the front to the middle of the pack real, real quick. From there I slowly worked my way further back. It was pegged from the start. WFO, single-file with 130 dudes.

Turn 3 is an off-camber 40mph right hand turn where the hacks at the back would apply a not-so-needed handful of brake. Few crashes here but worst of all, we ground to a halt at one point and a dude put his front wheel right into my rear wheel. Snap. Spoke broke. Went to SRAM neutral support for a 404 pit wheel and right back in...to the back.

Pulled the pin about 3 laps after that. I sucked. Didn't have it. Oh well.

Sphon won. 30 of the 130 finished the damn thing.

After the race we checked out of the hotel and loaded the car. Left the loaded car with bike on top with the valets and told them we'd be back later.

Watched the Pro women (LVG won...no surprise there), then the men.

VIP block party was still a go so Kuklic, the wife, and I enjoyed free beer again. Several beers.

Came back to the car to head to Inner Harbor in Baltimore for the night and ride BikeJam the next day.

Out of the hotel and to a gas station on the highway and as I'm filling up a dude looks up at my bike and says "what happened to your bike?"

I looked up and saw a crumpled front end. They pulled my car into the parking garage with the bike on top. A$$holes didn't even tell us.

I called the manager immediately and they knew I would be calling. They told me they would take care of it...Just to send them the bill.

Damage: Shifters, cables, bars, stem, fork, frame, bartape

Nothing wrong with the car though.

I'm not chancing riding a carbon bike that has been slammed into a brick wall so they're gonna have to get me a new frame. Noah, here I come.

So no race for me Sunday...Spent the day in Inner Harbor with the family. Good times.

Should be on a loaner bike by the end of the day.
Track starts tomorrow. Oh boy.