Poolesville from the back.

As Rayman often does, I got a chance to view it really from the way back! Nah. I wasn't even riding. I was driving the sweep car in the Mens Cat 4 race. Well, to say the least, I really didn't see much as I was relegated to picking up all of those riders who flatted. First lap around, right around the corner to the gravel road...a rider apparently flatted, I picked him up. Then, I passed a couple of others who flatted, however didn't want a ride. Then another closer to the end of the gravel section and another up the rollers. I was full with 3 riders in my car. Luckily I put my Thule bike rack on top of the car today. I had a fork mount and an upright carrier. The last bike I had to take the wheels apart and put it in my trunk with the other front wheel. I didn't think I would be able to fit a large bike in the trunk, however did pretty well. Next time I'll opt out of doing the sweep car as I don't have enough room. I dropped them off at the start, went looking for extra tubes because apparently there was a mechanic who was repairing flats at the end of the gravel road. I think someone grabbed them already so I went back to picking up all of the other flatters. The first time around there must have been about 8 flats. The second time, I picked up another full car, and brought them to corner 1 and dropped them off. I was beginning to wonder if there would be a lap without a flat. 3rd lap, racing around to get back in the caravan, I went around and found a turtle in the middle of the road...I quickly backed up and then scooted it across the road into the woods. It could have made for a nasty crash, plus a nice dead turtle. I went around picking up another three up this lap. The final lap, a crash happened on the gravel area. Apparently someone lost a bottle, causing it to get lodged in someone's front wheel. Guys were laying around in the woods. I'm pretty sure there was lots of poison ivy there though these guys decided to just lie there and roll around in the stuff. I asked them if they needed rides or if they needed medical attention, all of them including one who had a nice wheel out of true declined. Luckily for me, as I wasn't sure if I wanted poison ivy all over my car and me. I don't think I had to pick up anyone on this lap, luckily.

I'm just glad I didn't race today as I don't tend not to do well on this course. I think I've only completed it once. I crashed out once, flatted once up the rollers, luckily picked up with Super Dave in a pickup truck, so I didn't feel badly that I didn't finish as the best of them didn't either.

Well after picking up lunch, I lined up as the follow vehicle for the Womens 3/4 race. Well, I didn't have to pickup any flatters as the sweep van was in back of me. The Womens 3/4 race was a small field of about 12 or less women. It seemed to be a leisurely pace for a the first few laps. I don't think any one flatted. At one point it seemed to almost stop. Well... they did stop a couple of times, neutralized, as the CAT 123 and CAT 3/4 racers passed by. I was really surprised no one woman would try to solo it for the win with 2 laps to go. I think it would have been pretty easy for one or two to get away. The last lap was the telling lap on who was fit. The womens field broke up to two fields before gravel section, then after the gravel section it dissipated to pairs of riders. So.. that was the view from the back.

After I did my job, I went for another 2 1/2 hour drive to Bethany Beach to meet up with the family. It was a very refreshing recovery day for me on Sunday. I got sunburned pretty badly on my back, trying to even out my tan. Sunday afternoon, I went out to eat crabs! Yum.. I hadn't had crabs for a while. It was a great treat.
Back to work today... I think I'll race Greenbelt Wednesday for the only time this year.