JoeMallis Photography: Mud and Cowbells

While most of the East Coast stayed indoors or went to the mall (I know about that one after the race I went to King of Prussia, it was packed) there were a small niche group of athletes practicing their trade in the rain and mud. This is my first season shooting cyclocross but this weekend conjured up memories of old cycling magazines with the Belgian crossers' covered in mud and poop while racing on the farmer's cow pasture just outside of town. Classic cross weather is the best way to describe it.
The first stop of the weekend was Granogue, Delaware. Its one of the DuPont properties between Wilmington and West Chester.

I did not expect a big turnout. The weather would keep most home, I thought. WRONG! All the fields were full. The only thing that kept the racers from the finish line was all the mechanical failures due to the mud. Derailleurs were getting ripped off frames on every muddy lap. Almost every lap bunches of racers were crashing on the muddy off camber at the top of the hill.

But still they kept smiling....

Next stop Wissahickon. The weather had improved a bit. But the course was still muddy. The main features on this course were the short barrier run up.