NYC Velo Podiums at Orchard CX

This past weekend our Ex-shopmate but still teammate Josh Friedman was busy tearing it up at Orchard Cross.  After podiuming in the cat 3 race he runs off to do the P/1/2/3.   What a hardman.  Congrats on the Podium Josh!   Read ahead for his recap.  (Thanks to Caitlin Hume for photos)

Dateline: Orchard Cross Cat 3 race in Hampton Falls, New Hampshire.

I was pretty excited about getting a front row start, but then they
called up the promoting team. Only four were there and they planted
themselves right in front of me. The holeshot was clearly going to the
right of me. I had to fight from about twentieth place to get towards
the front of the race. At that point first and second were gone.

I had someone sitting on my wheel for a while. I thought he was
playing me, saying things like, “You’re killing me” and “I hope you
get paid for this.” I am neither a murderer nor professional bicycle
racer, sir. I don’t remember when, but somewhere in the middle of the
race I looked back and my companion was gone. He wasn’t joking.

The announcer thought I had New York style to me; he called me
Serpico. After the race I let him know that I’m just a stay-at-home
dad not shaving or cutting my hair for the winter, not a legendary New
York crime fighter. A compliment nonetheless.

The rest of the race was pretty uneventful. I rode alone keeping my
distance from everyone – both the guys behind me (intentional) and the
guys up the road (unintentional – I was supposed to catch them). I
rolled in for third place, slapped on a clean skinsuit for the podium
(and the elite race) and tried to wrap my head around racing again.

Later on the announcer seemed pretty excited about having me in the
elite race too. I guess most people don’t race cyclocross twice in a
day. Who knew? I tried not to come in dead last or blow up. I
succeeded and got twelfth.

And now I have a shiny new upgrade so I can dangle off the back of UCI
races without second guessing my decision of not racing the 3′s.