Gun Club

Welcome to the Gun Club my friends. Or Fight Club. Not sure which. Quad CX is the opener for CX in the NECX. I know, I know there are other races. And Sucker Brook or GMCX has dibs in a way. But what Ted and the Quad crew have built up over the last couple of years has been amazing. Last year it moved to the Maynard Rod & Gun club. CX & Guns! And cocktails! And a biker bar and grill! And euro chutes! You can't make this up. The fact that it is my away home town is mind boggling. What the hell does away home town mean? Kind of like how fatmarc considers Noho a home away from home. My family means a LOT to me. Not in the white bread perfect little WASP family means something to me. But MEANS something to me. My Mom Loves Cyclocross. For real. My sister and her wife and my brother and his wife live in Maynard. The fact that my mom and aunt and sister and her wife came out to watch me race meant everything. The NECX is my other family. And I love them almost as much. I have made a sort of random decision to race 3s this year. Why? Is it because you are only as old as the dudes you race against? Ie if I beat a 25 year old I am really 25? Is it some kind of mid-life crisis? Might be. Certainly its having a funny effect on the old dudes I usually race against. They are confused. Some are angry. Well they hated me before. Now that I won't play in their reindeer games they just seem bitter. I now see why Myerson doesn't race masters. But the real reason is pictured below.

If you have never raced with teammates just do it. Seriously. It is the most amazing feeling on the planet. In the masters I was pretty much an army of one. Its fine. Whatever. But in the Killer Bees? Dear god there was 6 of us. And they all kick ass. We got a great start! Thanks DJ! I almost crashed my teammate into a tree! A new term was coined mid race by Abel. As I took Markie Mark into a pine tree I heard Abel yell out its a "Huptastophy" And then this is the "Hupocalypse!" I swear the elbow I shoved into Marks ribs was to keep him upright. God masters races are douche bags. Sorry brother. I can take myself out of the masters race but I can't take the masters racer out of myself. The 3s are fast. Like really, really fast. I surfed the young guys way to the front. #TWSS. But could only hold it for two laps. Then I cracked soooo hard. I have never gone that hard. When Billy came through I knew it was over. Then he "Joey'd" into the barriers. I thought he was joking. But ummm it was no joke. He hit his own barriers at warp speed. Flew over them and came up with the bike around his neck. He also ripped his toe nail OFF. So yeah he was done . Total bummer. I hung on amid the gunfire. Did I mention the race is held at a rifle range? And there was actual gun play going on during our race? And there is a biker bar? Yeah. This is the most epic venue on the planet for a cx race.

I survived to fight another day. The Hup in the 3s. Robert, Abel, David, Ed and Markie Mark are my heroes. For real. I love racing with those dudes. Its so hard. But I am all in. Quad and Newbury Comics (and Abel) deserve a ton of credit for this race. Its not easy putting on a CX race. There is not a lot of reward trust me. But they did a top notch job. Ok my top picks for the day! Numbah One: Seeing Mo Bruno Roy DOMINATE. Damn she has good form right now. Numbah Two: The Ladies of Hup. We have been building this part of the squadra the last three years or so but wow. I can't even describe it. They are amazing. And truly an inspiration. We had six ladies in the 3/4 and they brought it. With style and class. Number Three: Three kids. For real. Curtis Boivon's daughter and Matt Aumiller's son shredded it after the race! We were breaking down and they just got on their bikes and bombed down the trails. It was awesome. And a certain Jr. Who raced singlespeed. She is my hero. So brave. I handed her a plush Unicorn. Nicky is doing an amazing job as a dad aka papa Wolf to her. It will be interesting to see how this next generation pans out. We have some talent. I wonder if Frances will be their coach/DS. I hope so.

I could tell you more about this but I'd have to kill you. But you have been warned. Next stop on the Hupexpress is Suckah Brook. That place is a buzz saw for me. But I suspect if I have my Hup teammates we will make the magic happen. Hup! Hup! Buttercup