Westwood Velo Cross report

With the team split between Long Island and North Jersey, the Rutgers Team didn't have the massive numbers of racers we're used to at the Westwood Velo race... however, with 7 Rutgers racers (Joe, Dave, Andy, Blake, Jay, Will, and Don) plus some alumni (Ted and Matt) and associates (the victorious ProfessorRalf and also-victorious Jim), we definitely made our presence known.
DK is ready to go
Jay got the holeshot in the C race.
"I prefer to start slow" said Jay last year
He then proceeded to open a huge gap. Huge. To explain how huge this gap was: When Jay flatted about halfway through the first lap, he ran about 400m before being caught. Unfortunately, he had no pit wheel, so Don ran to the car to get him a spare. By the time Don reached the pit, Jay was well behind the race. Rather than help Jay change wheels, Don photographed him.
Don is a terrible friend
With the exception of Andy and Blake, every one racing the C race in a Rutgers kit got a flat. Jay rode Don's wheel to avoid a DNF, Will and Dave pulled the plug, and Freshman Joe fought a slow-leak all the way to the finish. Joe and Jay finished 24th and 25th, respectively.
Joe dug deep in his 2nd-ever bike race
Andy and Blake pushed each other to the finish, trading positions at least twice in the last two laps as far as I could see. They finished in 12th and 13th, respectively, with young-gun Andy putting 30 sec into nearly-graduated Blake by the end.
Andy was the top Rutgers finisher in the C race
In the B race, Rutgers had a good start once again, with Don riding 3rd and Jay and Will close behind. Will took himself out in what was reportedly a spectacular yard-sale over the "natural barriers". Unfortunately, the crash was not captured on camera.Don runs the just-barely-unrideable logs
that took Will out of the race
Jay eventually pulled the plug on his own race. It seems that it is pretty tough to train once a week, then race twice in one day. Don dug deep for the remainder of the race, but gave up a couple of spots in the last two laps as the heat and the pace got to him. Jay and Will, sitting in the shade at one of the tougher sections of the course, "encouraged" him to stop being a wimp. He finished 7th.
Don fought hard but faded towards the end
Professor Ralf won the very-competitive Masters 35+ race. Congratulations!

With better and better results every week, experience gained, and the big numbers one would expect from the defending ECCC 'cross champions, the Rutgers Cycling team is looking forward to some fantastic races through the rest of the season. Stay tuned for more results, stories, and exciting action shots!