Woods Crossing

Isn't that a nice name for a hare scramble? The riders might not care but I like it. This is one of my favorite races mostly because of it's location. It's just a short drive on gravel a few miles south of Winterset and the farmhouse is tucked in just below the hills. The house itself is wonderful. At least from the outside it is. I love how it is symmetrical, has a sheltering roof, an inviting porch...ahh.

What's that? You want to hear about Ben and Bill's races? Fine, have it your way.

The 65 class waiting. Ben is second from the left.

Ben rips it off the line. I don't really know if that's something racers say but I do know he was fast on his start.

They made the course for the 65/85's tough. It was good riding for all of them. We asked Ben how it went and he said he crashed a million times. (possibly a slight exaggeration there)

Ben ended up 5th overall. He got the same prizes/swag that Luke got. 

Today's race turned out to be all about the starts. Bill got a great start as well. They are definitely improving, even if it doesn't show in the final results yet. They are pushing themselves harder and faster because they feel more confident in their ability. WooHoo! (Finally- I mean, after all that laundry I've been doing, there had better be something to show for it.) (just kidding) (sort of)

Bill is second- orange bike, green side plate, gray pants, all black helmet...

...and stays that way through the start.

Also fun in this race is a fairly steep hill they call "John Wayne". (The race is near Winterset, the birthplace of John Wayne.) It can make for an interesting climb, especially if at all wet. This year, though, it was dry and getting up was no problem.

 Doesn't it look like fun? I kind of wanted to run up it.

Unlike last week, Bill had a much better race experience, even if he didn't end up on the podium. He finished with a big smile and was raving about how well he rode. That's enough for me (and those next loads of laundry)!