Kyoto Cyclocross Bicycle Race: Final Roundup
桂川緑地公園 -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2016 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 160mm — 1/1600 sec, f/3.5, ISO 250 — map & image datanearby photos

This should be my final post about having watched my first cyclocross bicycle races recently.

There was a lot of mud.

桂川緑地公園 -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2016 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 140mm — 1/2000 sec, f/3.5, ISO 100 — map & image datanearby photos

Most photos in previous posts (the intro, Practice at the Mud Baths, The First Two Races, and Falling in the Mud) concentrated on areas I called the Mud Bath and Mud Hill. I finally got far enough through my photos to find some that show them in context a bit... here's a wider view showing folks going through and away from the Mud Bath....

桂川緑地公園 -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2016 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 78mm — 1/1600 sec, f/2.8, ISO 160 — map & image datanearby photos

A reverse-angle shot from the overpass in the distance...

桂川緑地公園 -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2016 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm — 1/1600 sec, f/2.8, ISO 250 — map & image datanearby photos

Some other random shots from the day...

Zig-Zag Up and Down -- 桂川緑地公園 -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2016 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm — 1/1600 sec, f/3.5, ISO 360 — map & image datanearby photos
Zig-Zag Up and Down
Pain perhaps a muscle cramp -- 桂川緑地公園 -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2016 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 116mm — 1/1600 sec, f/3.5, ISO 500 — map & image datanearby photos
Pain
perhaps a muscle cramp
Dangling Chain can't ride, but not giving up -- 桂川緑地公園 -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2016 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm — 1/1600 sec, f/3.5, ISO 560 — map & image datanearby photos
Dangling Chain
can't ride, but not giving up
Vibrant I really like this color scheme -- 桂川緑地公園 -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2016 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 105mm — 1/1600 sec, f/3.5, ISO 720 — map & image datanearby photos
Vibrant
I really like this color scheme
All Shapes and Sizes -- 桂川緑地公園 -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2016 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm — 1/1600 sec, f/3.5, ISO 320 — map & image datanearby photos
All Shapes and Sizes
Monochromatic -- 桂川緑地公園 -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2016 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 80mm — 1/1600 sec, f/3.5, ISO 450 — map & image datanearby photos
Monochromatic
Wheel Dangling by the Chain he spent considerable time trying to get his wheel reattached, but gave up -- 桂川緑地公園 -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2016 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm — 1/1600 sec, f/3.5, ISO 360 — map & image datanearby photos
Wheel Dangling by the Chain
he spent considerable time trying to get his wheel reattached, but gave up
Unlikely Competitor showing none of us has an excuse not to try -- 桂川緑地公園 -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2016 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 160mm — 1/1600 sec, f/2.8, ISO 400 — map & image datanearby photos
Unlikely Competitor
showing none of us has an excuse not to try
Zig-Zagging at Speed -- 桂川緑地公園 -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2016 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm — 1/1600 sec, f/2.8, ISO 280 — map & image datanearby photos
Zig-Zagging at Speed
Inspiring these not-sporty-looking folks make me feel weak for showing up with a camera instead of a bike -- 桂川緑地公園 -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2016 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 175mm — 1/1600 sec, f/2.8, ISO 180 — map & image datanearby photos
Inspiring
these not-sporty-looking folks make me feel weak
for showing up with a camera instead of a bike
Winner She won the CL2 (fairly advanced women's category) by more than a minute -- 桂川緑地公園 -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2016 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 90mm — 1/1600 sec, f/2.8, ISO 280 — map & image datanearby photos
Winner
She won the CL2 (fairly advanced women's category) by more than a minute
Steep Uphill -- 桂川緑地公園 -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2016 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 135mm — 1/1600 sec, f/2.8, ISO 180 — map & image datanearby photos
Steep Uphill
Start'um Young -- 桂川緑地公園 -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2016 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 150mm — 1/1600 sec, f/2.8, ISO 140 — map & image datanearby photos
Start'um Young
Nap Time -- 桂川緑地公園 -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2016 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 160mm — 1/1600 sec, f/2.8, ISO 320 — map & image datanearby photos
Nap Time
Weary Competitors just before the final turn toward the finish -- 桂川緑地公園 -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2016 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 170mm — 1/1600 sec, f/2.8, ISO 220 — map & image datanearby photos
Weary Competitors
just before the final turn toward the finish
Back Stretch -- 桂川緑地公園 -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2016 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm — 1/1600 sec, f/2.8, ISO 110 — map & image datanearby photos
Back Stretch
All in the Family? they seemed to ride together -- 桂川緑地公園 -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2016 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm — 1/1600 sec, f/2.8, ISO 110 — map & image datanearby photos
All in the Family?
they seemed to ride together

The young girl in the photo above is not riding in any of the kids' categories... she's in Ladies Category 3, which means she's good enough to have earned the right to move on from the any-female-can-enter Ladies 4. The winner of the next step up, Ladies 2, seen above in Winner, has the same family name and team affiliation... perhaps a sister or a cousin.

Fighting Spirit Noriko Okabe, an acquaintance seen in my last post of 2015 She went on to place 4th in her “ Ladies 3 ” race -- 桂川緑地公園 -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2016 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm — 1/1600 sec, f/2.8, ISO 320 — map & image datanearby photos
Fighting Spirit
Noriko Okabe, an acquaintance seen in my last post of 2015
She went on to place 4th in her Ladies 3 race
More Inspiration -- 桂川緑地公園 -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2016 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm — 1/1600 sec, f/2.8, ISO 280 — map & image datanearby photos
More Inspiration
Noriko Okabe -- 桂川緑地公園 -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2016 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 190mm — 1/1600 sec, f/3.2, ISO 250 — map & image datanearby photos
Noriko Okabe
Weary Moment's Rest -- 桂川緑地公園 -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2016 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 170mm — 1/1600 sec, f/3.2, ISO 800 — map & image datanearby photos
Weary Moment's Rest
“ Kids 2 ” Start one boy jumps off to a quick lead -- 桂川緑地公園 -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2016 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 140mm — 1/1600 sec, f/2.8, ISO 250 — map & image datanearby photos
Kids 2 Start
one boy jumps off to a quick lead
Form the bike seems a bit big at first glance, but he won by almost a minute, so I guess he's doing something right -- 桂川緑地公園 -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2016 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 86mm — 1/1600 sec, f/2.8, ISO 450 — map & image datanearby photos
Form
the bike seems a bit big at first glance,
but he won by almost a minute, so I guess he's doing something right
Warmup for a later race -- 桂川緑地公園 -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2016 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 140mm — 1/1600 sec, f/2.8, ISO 360 — map & image datanearby photos
Warmup
for a later race
Vincent Arrives -- 桂川緑地公園 -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2016 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 150mm — 1/1600 sec, f/2.8, ISO 400 — map & image datanearby photos
Vincent Arrives

Vincent Flanagan, seen on my blog in my writeup of his PedalForth Fitting bike-fitting service and in various ride reports, such as this fall group ride, is a former Australian National Mountain Bike Champion (1991), and a two-time All-Japan National Mountain Bike Champion (1996, 1997), so he's no stranger to racing. His Masters 1 race (highest-tier race for men 40 and over) wasn't until long after I had to leave, so I've no photos, but I can report that he finished in the top third, which is all the more impressive since he's got a decade or two on some of the competitors.


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