Kelly Bike Jam

NRC Race #2

What: Kelly Bike Jam
Where: Baltimore, MD
Category: Pro 1/2/3

Course: 20 miles of a 1.1 mile loop...It's pretty straightforward. Starting just below the round island in the "middle" of the photo below...you make a right hand turn around the island and another right onto the course. You follow the road around to the roundabout at the bottom right. There, you turn left around the island and then another VERY sharp left to get back on the road and head back to the start finish. It's a slight rise up to the start/finish line.

The course is hated by many and loved by few. Me? I actually didn't like it when I raced it as a Cat 3 last year. This year? I LOVED it! :) I had a BLAST out there!

Race: As will be the usual when I report about these races, it was FAST. All said and done, we averaged 24 mph for the 20 miles. It was not the same kind of fast as Wilmington, although we were easily hitting 30+ mph on the long stretch toward the 2nd roundabout.

I felt good, sitting in the bottom 3rd of the field. There was one, big, unfortunate crash about 9 laps in. A touch of wheels sent riders sprawling across the entire road just in front of me. I managed to stay upright and get around the crash, but it was bad enough that it caused a neutralization of the field and one rider to be sent to the nearest hospital. Worse yet, the rider sent off was Jen Rasmusson - one of my Philly teammates. We haven't gotten an update yet, but word post-race was a broken collarbone.

I stayed with the field for the entire race today...even when it was blisteringly fast just after the crash. I eeked out a respectable 35th place finish out of 45 who did finish and 78 that started. Not too shabby!