DCCX Photos by Bruce Buckley

Andrew and I’s (hi this is Lily) first time at DCCX was a (sand) blast. While the hot, dry conditions weren’t those cool fall ones we would normally hope for in Chicago at this time of year, they were great in that they made an otherwise not particularly technical course a good challenge. Off-camber sections became sandy off-camber sections. Over the course of the weekend, hundreds of wheels uncovered loose gravel and shredded turns into dust. Clouds of dirt obscured roots and rocks on what seemed like good lines. And cracked pavement took away power riders’ slight advantage in these sections. The laps were long, the features were fun, and overall we saw another great example of an outdoor fun-park built right in the middle of a huge urban area.

Bruce Buckley took some great shots of the weekend’s race chaos. We would encourage you to look past what is immediately obvious in each of these photos. We have also provided a bit of commentary on what was likely going through our heads in each of these moments.

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“Analyze situation. These jabronis in front have me have taken the wrong line. Luckily I am far enough out to sweep around them and remain on my bike. My weight is shifted perfectly. I did my glute and back exercises this week. I ate a perfect carb ratio last night.”

“PDXs are the best.”

“Why tf did I run PDXs.”

“The dust stirred up from this first lap is immense. I am glad I wore my clear Oakley lenses. They make me look good as well. Did I mention I am from Chicago? Yes. It is true. Did you know Chicago’s Tribune Tower is built in the neo-Gothic style?”

“So this is what they call the urban jungle. I really don’t like snakes.”

“The Iditarod takes place annually and is a 1,000 mile dog race across the state of Alaska. The dogs pull a sled much like I am pulling these riders behind me. The Times this morning did however release an article about doping in dog sledding. But the accused says his dogs were framed!”

*Sneezes*

“Run or ride, run or ride, run or —”

“Unfortunately the barriers are approximately 3.75 cm too high to hop. I will dismount approximately 4.8 feet before my step through and I will take 4 quick steps in between these barriers before remounting and accelerating at 2m s⁻².”

“Another hill are you kidding me.”

“My socks kinda match the course tape lol.”

“Fuck, shit”

“I have had an excellent start. I think I’m sitting in the top 13 or 14. Within the next half lap, I plan on passing one more rider, and bridging to that group of 3. They are riding slightly faster in the straights, but I am technically superior. I will waste less energy. This race is so young. I am so strong.”