Bike Racing

Kathleen-
Long time no blog! the house-hunting on top of a full-time job and a very busy summer (including an exciting visit for you), leaves very little time or inspiration for blogging.

This weekend is packed, but last night we went to see one of the races that is part of the Minnesota Bike Festival. A friend of Mike's from HS is racing in the women's events, so we went with friends to cheer her on.

Having never attended a bike race, much less a crit (where the riders do many laps on a short course), I didn't know what to expect...though I certainly did not expect the convertible/front car:
Because they raced on city streets in Uptown, including tight corners, measures were taken to protect the racers from obstacles such as fire hydrants:


Here are the leaders rounding a corner:

The pack spread out behind them:
Mike's friend Anna zooming by (she's the one with #71 on her back):
And the finish:
It was good fun, and lovely way to spend an hour on a Friday evening.

And what bike race would be complete without a visit from the mascot of the Minnesota Wild?
Because as a spectator, you get a minute or so break every lap during which there are no bicyclists going by, I brought along my knitting, and got lots done on my Sunshine Socks (Rav link)