If you stuck around Dana Point after last year's Ragnar SoCal, you probably got a little bit of the flavor of the Dana Point Grand Prix, a series of public, amateur and professional criterium cycling races held on the neighborhood streets around Heritage Park. Last year, Chasquis Mindi, Sam, Weintzy and myself, along with Janel and the kids, went to watch the races last year. It was total blast.
This year's event has expanded to include an individual time trial component that will be held the Saturday morning before the Sunday races, and Chasqui Weintzy is going to be representing the Chasquis!
It is a prologue-style route of about 2.25 miles riding along and overlooking Dana Point Harbor and the Pacific Ocean. If you're not too familiar with cycling, the cool thing about a time trial is that each rider rides alone, competing against the clock and nothing else. In this case, a new cyclist will start every 30 seconds until everyone has gone.
When I first heard about the time trial, I thought about giving it a shot myself, you know, just to say I had done one. And then I saw the route for the course, which is what makes this a totally unique ride. The vast majority of this race is either downhill or flat, except for the race's namesake, Killer Cove. If you've been to Dana Point Harbor, you've probably seen it. Chasqui Morgan and I humbly call it, "The Devil's Gullet". It is a giant hill that takes you from sea level at the harbor to the very top of the surrounding bluffs, all in about 2/10 of a mile. That comes out to about an 18% grade. That's when I decided that gravity likely would not work to my advantage and that I'd live vicariously through Weintzy.
So, he and I are headed down there on Friday, April 9 for a weekend of SoCal cycling. If you're at all interested in doing the time trial there should still be spots open to register and it's only $15 to enter. Members of the public will be doing this, so if even if you ride in cut-off denim shorts and a wifebeater, you'll fit right in. Or if you're interested in just coming down to support and doing some riding while you're down there, come along! It will be a total blast!
Here's a preview of the Time Trial course itself:
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