Monnig Wins Tuesday PIR In Oven

Ever race in an oven? Ever have a prime worth $5 for every degree above 100?

David Monnig brought another fish in to the boat with a fine win in Tuesday’s PIR 3/4 race, which was contested in 106 degree heat at the start. The field was light and Ironclad brought the majority of the riders to the show, and after repeated softening blows, Monnig went clear. Luciano had decided on the miss-and-out strategy, and places 1-5 were to be decided on lap 5 of 10. It was fun. We enjoyed the numbers advantage and lead out Ryan Smith for second in the initial scrum to the line with 5 to go.

Did we mention the heat? I mean HEAT. A good bunch of the field hung it up after the Lap 5 deciding sprint, and for good reason – Mitchem got us all cold showers via a garden hose at the infield. That made the whole night bearable. Thanks Jeff!

Hopefully next week regular temps will come back so we can get a larger field. Kudos to ANYONE AND EVERYONE that showed up tonight. Man…..that’s one that will be in one of those “remember when” conversations at the bar come December.

The estimable and erstwhile Pat Malach of Oregon Cycling Action caught the images of the eve:

Monnig wins solo, bitten by the Victory Contagion that has made its way through our ranks

And then, leave it to a bunch of knobs like us to take full advantage of a dorky photo op.

if there were a Portland Men’s Cycling calendar, these dudes would NOT be in it