Waffles, Flemish, and Darkness

It's no news to me, but it might have been the final straw for my wife this morning.  She's now sure that I may in fact have been driven to mental problems by cycling.

You see, at 4:30am, I was driving down 128 to Lexington, to attend a viewing party for the women's race of the cyclocross world championships.  Since it's held in Belgium, the time difference meant the race started at 5.

The Ride Studio Cafe was kind enough to host this little get together and put the race on its big screen TV (most of us are used to watching it on laptops!).  Also, they gave us waffles.

I arrived to a random grouping of riders, racers, and others.  Perhaps most amazing to see was the kindergarten-aged little girl.  Talk about getting 'em started young...

Oh, also, the race was broadcast only in Flemish:  a dutch variant dialect spoken only in part of Belgium, if I understand correctly.

Are you starting to see what I mean by that first paragraph?

Perhaps the reason many of us were there was that Katie Compton, an American from CO, has gotten on the podium many times in the last few years, but never won the world championship.  She didn't this year, either.  5th place.  But the race was still interesting.

I would've stayed for the men's race, too, but due to some sort of cultural confusion and/or sexism, the Belgians who ran this show (the race, I mean) chose to leave a 3 hour gap between races.  Mind you, reports suggested that between 40 thousand and 60 thousand spectators were at this race.  Yes, yes, I know- at a bike race?  Yes, at a bike race.  Refreshing that someone, somewhere takes it seriously.  Anyway, I don't know what they expect this massive crowd to do for those 3 hours in between- buy frites?  Waffles?

For my part, I chose to drive home and go back to sleep, after chatting with Mo Bruno Roy- a local racer who's raced this course and these women, but didn't go to world championships- and other attendees for awhile.  But that's just me.

I enjoyed my time with you, bike world, but there's work Monday morning, and a little girl who wants to play Littlest Pet Shop at some point today.  I gots to get some rest!

So long, and thanks for all the waffles.