Messengers Hit the Big-Time at
NYC Cycling Championships 07/31/2003
This year's (2003) NYC Cycling Championships was the second-annual. This year, besides an appearance by the heroic Tyler Hamilton to say a few words of encouragement, besides NYC's Mayor Bloomberg there to encourage pro cycling in NYC, and besides the pro division being won by Olympic track champion Marty Nothstein, there was something new. Track bikes on the crit course, er, that is: a messenger race!
That's right, on this dog-bone-shaped pro course of a little over a mile, one of the day's events was a messenger relay race. The "BMC Software Bike Messenger Challenge." Each messenger team brought 5 members. Each team member did one lap. At the end of the lap, each rider had to
- stop at a white line,
- dismount,
- run about 10 feet ahead to the messenger on his team who waited,
- hand the items (not the entire bag) off to the teammate,
- so that the teammate could stuff the items in their own bag and take off for their lap.
This provided lots of entertainment for the spectators, and some puzzlement for the commentators.
The media folks certainly knew they pro road racing, but they didn't quite know what to make of
messenger-style riding. There was lots to be excited about, from one team's heavy Mad-Max-looking
cargo bikes to the brakeless fixes ridden by many other racers.
"And tell the spectators, Jim, just how DO they stop those track bikes??
"Well, Bob, I hear they reach over with their hand and squeeze the front tire."
"Wait!!!! Did you see that??!! He skidded that track bike!!!"
The messener race was won by Team Body Glove: Robert, Squid (on a track), Morgan (on a track), Ivan, and Tropicana. Tropicana rode the last leg for Body Glove. And since he came in first, he got to meet Mayor Bloomberg and Tyler Hamilton.
Mayor Bloomberg loved it, appreciating the vitality of the cycling package-bearers who keep his city moving. We all believed him when he said he wants a messenger event in next year's NYC Championships. He didn't look too bad in his bikd jersey either.
Enjoy the pics! There are some non-contestant track-bike pics below as well.
US Olympic track champion Marty Nothstein on the final winning sprint in the pro division.
Messengers massing for the start of their race. It was a Le Mans start actually, a mad sprint towards a pile of bikes on the ground.
Messenger contender on his fix. If you know the name of this rider, please send it in!
Team Body Glove from R to L: Robert, Squid (rode a track), Morgan (rode a track), Tropicana, Ivan. Photo by Amy, Squid's wife.
Manhattan Portage bags for the winners. Second and third place teams got them too. But smaller.
Mayor Bloomberg sporting a bike jersey. To the mayor's left is Tyler Hamilton, who about a week previously, rode over 2,000 miles on the Tour de France with a broken collar bone, finishing 4th overall. To the mayor's right is Tropicana, who rode the last leg for his team on the Messenger Challenge.
Robert, Morgan, Squid and Ivan with the money. At that very moment, their other member, Tropicana, was up on the podium with Mayor Bloomberg and Tyler Hamilton.
Tracy on her fuzzy pink Moser track. Her husband Morgan, Team Body Glove, rode a track in the Messenger Challenge.
Fast Eddie and his reconditioned Frejus track.
Parked near the race course. No, it's not a fix, but OUCH anyway!