Friday, June 12, 2009

Nature Valley Gran Prix Uptown Minneapolis





Work sucked today. A surprise deadline planted my ass firmly in the chair for most of my eleven hour stretch. No Hacky-sack, no workout. Welcome to the machine. On my way home Sean called me to say that he was in uptown at that National road race that I had heard about on TV. Floyd was there. I sped home and loaded up my new camera (Canon SX10) and ipod for a ride to uptown. Met Sean two blocks South of Lake Street on Hennepin, at the south-east corner of the two-mile lap. A good vantage point.

After crossing to the inside of the curve, and hearing the lead-car coming I hunkered down on the edge of the sidewalk closest to the street for some cool shots as the riders arched around me. The young Marshall says "you may want to move back", Ok I said and did about 6 inches. He was totally right, when the riders came they seemed so close, I hadn't accounted for how much they lean. Sean and I noted the carbon frame reverb of a close-proximity pedal-strike, a good two or three seconds after it happened. The atmosphere was electric when the peleton passed by.

After, I walked Sean to his car though the beautifully restored houses and lingering residents, then rolled back through the aftermath, and along the course towards the podium till the thickening crowd pushed me out and around to the Greenway, and home.

2 comments:

SeanH said...

Sure was a fun time. Glad you could make it.

queasyfish said...

Just sold that $400 SX10. That was the stupidest purchase. That camera takes crappy auto (flash off) pictures - which is all I want to do. Should have popped for a base DSLR. Didn't research it. Dumb.