Walla Walla Downtown Crit

The 2nd Saturday event at the Tour of Walla Walla is the downtown criterium. It starts late afternoon and extends into the evening. The last few fields are competing after dark.

I sucked worse at the crit than I did at the TT. I got spit out the back of the pack. But I didn't get pulled. See, when you are riding your bike way slower than the other fellas, the guys who run the race might tell you that your race is done and would you please get off the course. I expected this would happen and it didn't. So I finished. And when you know that no big victories are coming your way, you have to celebrate the small ones. Yay.

Downtown crits are totally cool. Easier to pull off in smaller towns, but still no small feat. Spokane has done it and could do it again, but it takes an experienced, organized, well-connected group to pull it off. You don't just wish it. I'm not sure that it's the best focus for Spokane's cycling event talent and resources.

That said, it's a spectacle. Lame internet pics and videos can't do it justice, but here's a taste of the start of one of the races:



Nightime action photos are so beyond my photographic capability. This is the best I could do:



There's a lot of Spokane and Cd'A riders down here doing impressive stuff. A lot of them I don't really know but admire - different league. But some are those I have raced with and I understand the outstanding work they did today:

Alan Jacob
Taylor Pilant
Renee Compton
Shawn Letson

Great job, you guys.

Tomorrow we go road racing.