Brilliant red paint appearing beneath corrugated beige
Decorating the workstand for colorblind prom
First test ride on a cold morning
New tape, new shoes, new tires
First jump, first sprint to the School Crossing sign
Long March training rides
The bright silvery smell of impending snow
Stopping for hot coffee and oatmeal cookies
First race of the season
Sleepess night spent pedalling in bed
Still yawning on the starting line
Checking VeloNews for upcoming races
Big-money event, but too far away
Calling around for a shared ride
Summer school of real racing
Long days spent on hot asphalt
Sleeping in the car on the drive home
Prime sprint for a sixpack of Pepsi
Easily won with a long acceleration
Guys in the pack are laughing
Taking stock late in a crit
Yelling, pushing, fighting for position
As the final lap approaches
Hilly roadrace on special wheels
Special gearing, special tires, special jersey
Someone falls over on the first steep climb
Calling home to say who won
Who crashed, who flatted
How many racers were there
Drinking beer on a motel balcony
Unfamiliar labels bought at an unfamiliar grocery
Licking wounds and placing blame
Minor injuries accumulated day-by-day
Knees and elbows wrapped in white
Crash test practice mummys dressing by their cars
Final race of the season
Sunlight turning autumn into gold
Starters pistol, sprinting away from the line, entering the
first corner...
1 comment:
Nice poem, very evocative of the racing experience and the odd moments we come across.
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