What the racing community needs is more excitement and the La Grange Grand Prix certainly brought it.
In a time where local race venues are shrinking, getting the Porsche Experience Center Los Angeles as a host was a real coup.
Having hosted the Brentwood Grand Prix for many years, a prominent club like La Grange could only try to outdo itself.
This probably doesn’t come as a shocker to you, but this was my first time coming here, at least in a non-golf setting.
There’s a unique feeling here as the adjacent 405 soon becomes white noise as seeing this much real estate wide open is a rare sight in Los Angeles.
I brought along the CiclaFamily which is the first road race they’d ever seen and I still had CV Jr. excited to come after letting her down that Peter Sagan wouldn’t be there.
As tempted as I was to race, I thought my strengths from cyclocross would either suit me really well or terribly bad on a course like this, but with a field of this size and Mrs. CV on hand, this might not have been the time to find out.
Watching the race was a little problematic as spectators were barrier separated from getting closer to the action by the finish line, but CV Jr. was happy enough with her camera to see enough racing.
Overall though, I’m sure everyone thought that the race was a big success and hope to see the La Grange Grand Prix make it back next year.
Here’s a few photos from the day:
Ironic to see more bikes than cars in a parking lot
Look, don’t touch. Definitely don’t touch.
A Renaissance Fair of team tents lined the course
“Scale Model” of the Porsche Experience Center. I use quotes because look at how little traffic there is on the 405!
My little one was having a blast using my $120 camera shooting pics like this one with Breakawaymanny!
It was a good distance to roll your rollers out to the action.
The Women’s Masters didn’t race behind bars. We were the ones a bit away.
Men’s 35+ off and racing
Super G’s going into the turns
SPOILER ALERT: Katie Mardayat all smiles before winnng the Women’s Pro Race
David Mayhew taking the Men’s 35+ win by a few lengths
“Take That!”
Some of the other racers finishing off
Rahsaan Bahati’s train had to chase down a few attacks the last couple of laps.
Women’s Pro Race starting off
…and in slo mo.
Rally UHC’s Krista Doeble-Hickok chasing down a podium position
More turn taking
Waving goodbye to the bear and hope to be back for the La Grange Grand Prix in 2020!