St. Leon Road Race

This weekend will mark the start of March Madness for me. That is, it will be the start of the cycling road racing season.

Sunday is the St. Leon road race in St. Leon, Indiana. St. Leon is a very sleepy little hick town that I have grown to love primarily because of this race and a guy named Jason and his posse.

Let me set the story for you. Two years ago: I did this race and fell in love with the course. It's a 15 mile loop you do 3-4 times. It's extremely demanding because it has a couple of very significant climbs about a mile length with twisty descents. A very good test of conditioning this early in the year.

The field's concentration was also tested that day. On the first lap, the pack of riders goes flying by this one house, and we notice these two guys sitting in lawn chairs drinking beer and watching the riders go by. As we pass they let out with a "Whooooooooo!" at full throat. About 1 lap and 45 minutes later, there's a half a dozen guys and a pile of beer cans starting to develop in the lawn. Last lap, we see a dozen guys and a very big pile of cans. From their looks, these guys are obviously not cycling fans. Dressed in overalls and work boots, these guys are just some rural 30-somethings who discovered something to do in St. Loen, Indiana. It was a hoot!

Last year: I ride in from Cincinnati with my friend Todd. As we approach the race course I say to Todd "I wonder if those partying hillbillys are going to be there this year?". As if on cue, we drive past the same house and there are already a dozen guys there drinking beer and cranking tunes. Mind you, it's 10:30am. In the lawn there's makeshift signs made of spray-painted wood boards which read "We are race fans" and "Annual Bike Race Party". Todd and I completely lost it and were even still laughing as we started our race. As we raced by, the ring leader of the group (who goes about 6 foot 5, 300 pounds) was running along the side of the road holding a beer can as if to perform a "hand off" like you see in marathons. All his buddies and many of the riders were cracking up.

After we were done with this race we were tired, sore and exhausted. But I told Todd and my friend Scott that we should ride our bikes a couple of miles down the course to the house party and say hi. So we did. The owner of the house (the guy performing the beer hand-offs) was a huge burly man named Jason. As soon as we pulled into the driveway the whole group of guys cheered and weclomed us some Busch lights from their "biker box". Lynard Skynard was cranking through a stereo system set out on the porch. At 3pm these guy has been drinking for at least 4 hours and were feeling no pain. Scott, Todd and I were treated to a makeshift beer bong made from plumbing materials. I can't remember the last time I did a beer bong.

*I mean that quite literally...the last time I did beer bongs...I don't remember...like...anything.*

Jason posed with us to take a picture. What a clash of the cultures. Here's three shave legged white collar health nuts clad in lycra posing with a big huge mountain of a man in overalls. It was awesome! We traded phone numbers, shared a couple more beers and laughs. It's a really cool feeling to know that people of such opposite cultures can get along so well with the influence of a few (ok more than a few judging by the numbers of cans in the yard) cans of beer.

On the way back to the cars Todd, Scott and I raced each other at full hammer. Safety isn't the first thing on your mind when you pound several beers on an empty stomach after a 50 mile hill-fest.

I received a call from Jason this week. This year, he's inviting more people and it should be an even larger event than last year. He plans to have a DJ or a band. I'm mildly optimistic. My conditioning is rather good for this time of the year although lately I've been indulging in the beer a little too much myself.

But, I can say this; I'm hitting the beer after the race at Jason's house. I've been waiting a year for this and I wouldn't miss this for the world.

This is March Madness.