Ride Across Wisconsin, on August 26, 2016, began in Dubuque Iowa, and follows scenic, low traffic roads 175 miles across the bottom of the state and ends on at Simmons Island Beach along the shore of Lake Michigan in Kenosha. Angry Monkeys Racing had 6 members participate this year. Joey & Carl doing it for their second year in a row. Casey, Gregg, Storm, & Corey also finished the 1 day ride. 175 is quite the base miles for cyclocross, so why not. #crossiscoming Riders rode along side greats like Jens Voigt, Frank Schleck, and other members of the Trek | Segafredo Team. Joey King had this to say about the event: "Dinner was really especially fun because we got to sit at the table next to Jens, Rider, Frank and team. All I wanted for the day was to be with a big group of good cyclists. My experience last year told me that sort of group will form near the front. I also wanted to avoid chasing wheels that would eventually be too much for me. I realized how much easier it is for me to ride with a group when there are hills. Those big guys from flatter lands would push hard into the wind at the front. My willingness to participate in the paceline was greatly reduced when the person after me raised the pace. I pushed to keep the line together but this also meant no one could cycle through to the front and the cross-wind started to take it's toll. It was pretty amazing that everyone in a group of 15 to 25 riders did work at the front at least some of the time. That might be the coolest thing. So amazingly, my plan came to be. I invested heavily in the beginning in the hopes that this would be a good group and that investment paid off. We finished in close to 10 hours and, according Mia's Strava, we averaged 19.3 MPH when we were moving. That's the sweetest way to tick off 175 miles, if you ask me. " Corey's favorite part of the day was riding with a new group from Minnesota, who were using RAW as a training ride for Lotoja. He said it was good group and great to hear their story. I think Corey might want to do that race next year. Carl had these words posted on social media:Yesterday, 700 people (70+ of them from Trek!) rode their bicycle across this great state of Wisconsin, experiencing the full taste of what Wisconsin has to offer in a single day: There was cold, rain, shifting winds, fog, prevailing sun, high humidity, and finally, the cooling lake breeze as the sun set. There were hills and descents, bad weather riding, headwinds, tailwinds, tears, smiles, laughter (...LOTS of it at a prank played against me...), fear, excitement, joy, saddle sores, tan lines, tired legs, sunscreen, sunburns, pace lines, and solo stretches. There were bad drivers and bad bike riders; honks of support and law-abiding cyclists. There was homemade lemonade and homemade Wisconsin cheese pizza, local fruit and local brews, amazing grilled veggie sandwiches from local food vendors, and even a Van Holyen pickle-in-a-pouch. Entire communities came out despite the weather to welcome us and cheer us on through their town; local police, firefighters, and paramedics worked diligently to ensure our safety and the safety of those around us, and-most importantly-our God watched over us all. What surprises me about these crazy events, though, is that I always learn *so much* more about myself from what I learned about OTHERS than from any effort or accomplishment of my own. I am truly, truly, TRULY blessed to have shared this day with so many amazing, inspiring, and generous people, and I thank God for giving me front row tickets to such amazing character development. I love you all, I am proud of you all, and for that I toast this massive chocolate-malt-filled frozen RAW goblet to you! Job well done! #cheerstothat #trekbikes #rideacrosswisconsin #secondofmany We are all very proud of Joey, Carl, Casey, Gregg, Storm and Corey. Glad they were able to participate and all were safe throughout the day. See below some of the photos of the riders from social media and a few head shots by Jeff Kennel. Corey is the guy in the AMR kit, the rest were in other kits for the day, it's not a race. |
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