The riders’ meeting today is probably the nearest I’ll come to showing all the riders in one picture. I’ll have a better version stitched from multiple images eventually. I didn’t hear it all, but at least part of it was about exactly what you need to do to qualify for worlds (same location, next month).
Today featured registration, the arrival of officials, installation of some of the photo and timing equipment, and more practice time.
I’ll do a bigger update (with some results) tomorrow afternoon. For now, I need some sleep.
Oh - for those of you who have emailed - I am reading email a couple of times a day but I’m having trouble sending. I may solve that tomorrow, or responses may be delayed until I get home. Please be patient.
In this last morning before two-a-day race sessions begin, I found myself looking out the hotel window. You can see the velodrome building, tan with a greenish stripe, just left of the Goodyear ad. Close in, you get two freeways and a place to buy knives and paintball supplies. This image is artifically brightened - it’s actually even more overcast than it looks. This is quite normal for L.A. at this time of year, unlike the uniformly sunny southern California on TV.
I’m in the host hotel, and it’s a better-than-average Holiday Inn. Not exactly luxurious, but everything is clean and everything works, including this fast-but-not-cheap internet connection. In spite of the two intervening freeways, the drive to the track isn’t bad.
The next post will be about cycling again, I promise.
Not quite same-day reporting, but closer.
There was a nice turnout today. When riders lined up for practice with the starting gates I counted about 21 on each side of the track and another dozen or so in the infield.
Notable events were a team pursuit practice by a Trexlertown team, and lots of falls. Fortunately, only one of the falls seemed to be a hard one due to wheels touching. The rest were slips due to low speed on the banking.
There will be no stunning photography, I’m afraid. There’s not quite enough light for my camera to do its best work, and the rather draconian policies of the center with respect to photography suggest that if I bring a professional-level camera I won’t be allowed to use it.
Please, just let us on that track!
Colleen Hayduk enjoys a few moments of nearly-solo track time.
Crews were still getting banners up outside the building.
If Cyclingnews can get pictures of Kelly, so can I. And I can spell LaFleur.
Matt Mosby (l) and Jim Ryan (r ) warm up.
Ben Barczewski takes a few laps high on the track.
Matt and Colleen wait for start practice.
A rider is about to launch as others wait.
Thanks to visitor “Woo” (yes, I know who you are) for leading me to a www.cyclingnews.com article with some nice pictures. If they keep this up I won’t have to post so many…
A quick tip for comfort. The velodrome is maintained at 72 degress F (22C) and 54% relative humidity. It’s great for the riders and the wood of the track, but if you are going to be sitting for a few hours, consider bringing more clothing than the Southern California uniform of shorts and a t-shirt.
The riders’ meeting today is probably the nearest I’ll come to showing all the riders in one picture. I’ll have a better version stitched from multiple images eventually. I didn’t hear it all, but at least part of it was about exactly what you need to do to qualify for worlds (same location, next month).
