Tuesday, June 3, 2008

2008 CSC Invitational


Once a year, a big time cycling race shows up at my doorstep called the CSC Invitational. Its a pro/am race that features some of the top mens and womens teams in the world, along with supporting the local community by having races for kids. The pro course is a 100 laps of a twisty 1k loop around the Clarendon neighborhood in Arlington. Its pretty impressive to see these people moving so fast, with so many hard corners and turns.




Last year (also with some good shots and a video), Rebecca and I were able to watch the men's race, but due to a chaotic Sunday schedule (including Rebecca's first tri of the season), we watched the womens race and the kids race, before taking off. It was just as cool as always to see these people flying by.

As always, spectators can walk around the center area of the course, where all the teams have their gear trucks set up. Here are a few pictures from some of the big teams that were there. Strangely enough, CSC wasn't in attendance this year.

The best part though was something we witnessed as we were leaving. At this point, the little kids race was going on, which ranges from kids on small road bikes to little ones on tricycles. This little girl had made it to the last corner before the final straightaway, when her chain seemed to drop from her tricycle. At this point, she didn't know what to do. Amazingly, one of the pros who was warming up stopped to help her out and put her chain back on. Unfortunately, super dad decided to show up at the same time, grabbed the bike, and started turning the pedals before the pro was done fixing the chain, which caused the chain to snap. Leave it to super dad to intervene while a pro fixes his little girl's bike. What a jackass. For future reference, if a pro stops to fix your bike, stand back and let them. I'm just guessing that they probably know more about it than you.

6 comments:

Nancy Toby said...

Awww, that's a great little photo essay on the little girl's bike!! Did you figure out who the pro was from the number? You should send him the photo!!

Nancy Toby said...

Aha, if the numbers are correct it was Davide Frattini, who has a blog:
http://davidefrattini.blogspot.com/

I left him a comment and link to the photo. :-)

Davide Frattini said...

Hi, yeah that's is me! That poor girl drop the chain twice before the last turn...
Nice picture, if you don't mind i will post on my blog.
Thanks
Davide

Anonymous said...

Great photos. I was there for the Men's race and I posted a video
here
on the bicyclespokesman blog (www.bicyclespokesman.com)

Rainmaker said...

Those are some great photos - especially the tricycle kid one, very very cool.

Wrenched Photography said...

Shhh......most pros don't have a clue how to maintain a bike :)

Davide is an exception

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