The morning drive to the Pijnacker race site started with a phone call to Mark Legg, Katie Compton's mechanic, husband, and all-around nice guy. He had volunteered to help Jon in the pits for the next two World Cups so we were discussing details. By the time he was actually pitting for Jon that afternoon he was a very happy man.
Katie, UCI points leader and home-state girl, won her first World Cup. This was the first 'cross World Cup victory to be claimed by an American - ever. As I stood in the start area before the men's race the Star Spangled Banner played and I sang it - much to the delight of the Dutch fans (probably because they could not actually hear me). It was a "Proud to be an American" moment and I heartily thank and congratulate Katie. She beat 2nd place Daphny van den Brand by a minute. WOW!
Jon's race was another mud fest, though it couldn't quite compare to Neil. The beer tent in Holland was much smaller and people drank the hot wine and Jagermeister more enthusiastically than the Grolsch beer that was being served.
The various features of the course were interesting. Two sections called the "mountains" were up and down ramps about 4 meters high. One "mountain" dumped racers out onto a mud-slicked dyke where the right crash could slide you under the ropes and into an ice-cold canal. To the best of my knowledge, no one actually did this. But at one point, Jon tried.
His race went very well and he landed his best World Cup finish to date. Though the Velo News article says he was a lap behind the leaders, that is decidedly incorrect. He was completely off the finishing straight by the time Lars Boom was entering it for the win. This means Jon got the dubious honor of racing on the cold muddy course longer than any other racer that day.
After washing everything up, we drove into downtown Delft and enjoyed Dutch hospitality at a restaurant called De V. The beer was good and the mustard soup was amazing, a warm and inviting conclusion to a muddy and cold weekend.
Katie, UCI points leader and home-state girl, won her first World Cup. This was the first 'cross World Cup victory to be claimed by an American - ever. As I stood in the start area before the men's race the Star Spangled Banner played and I sang it - much to the delight of the Dutch fans (probably because they could not actually hear me). It was a "Proud to be an American" moment and I heartily thank and congratulate Katie. She beat 2nd place Daphny van den Brand by a minute. WOW!
Jon's race was another mud fest, though it couldn't quite compare to Neil. The beer tent in Holland was much smaller and people drank the hot wine and Jagermeister more enthusiastically than the Grolsch beer that was being served.
The various features of the course were interesting. Two sections called the "mountains" were up and down ramps about 4 meters high. One "mountain" dumped racers out onto a mud-slicked dyke where the right crash could slide you under the ropes and into an ice-cold canal. To the best of my knowledge, no one actually did this. But at one point, Jon tried.
His race went very well and he landed his best World Cup finish to date. Though the Velo News article says he was a lap behind the leaders, that is decidedly incorrect. He was completely off the finishing straight by the time Lars Boom was entering it for the win. This means Jon got the dubious honor of racing on the cold muddy course longer than any other racer that day.
After washing everything up, we drove into downtown Delft and enjoyed Dutch hospitality at a restaurant called De V. The beer was good and the mustard soup was amazing, a warm and inviting conclusion to a muddy and cold weekend.
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