Just Like Home

Warming up this morning, I felt like I was back home.  The velodrome feels identical to the track in Minnesota--but indoors, which means perfect conditions, and the surface is newer.  Better than home.  I couldn't be more comfortable.  Most of the riders won't feel this way--the steep banking of a short track (a 50% gradient in the corners) is flat-out scary to anyone not accustomed to it, and most riders ride tracks with much shallower bankings.

To me, this track feels more comfortable than Blaine, because at Blaine, when you ride up to the rail, you're looking down over the rail at a 15 meter drop, which just scares me enough that I don't ride right to the rail.  Here, when you ride the rail, you're just next to the stands, and it feels very safe.

The infield has a few million dollars' worth of bikes in it, a small but dense thicket of carbon fiber frames and wheels.  You can easily see the Minnesota Pit from the stands; we hung a big gold Gustavus towel on the partition next to us.

So, we're all right at home and ready to race.  Taylor and Ted (my Team Sprint teammates) are racing the Standing 250m TT today, and Chris Ferris is riding the Kilometer.  Brian Crosby is just here today to warm up for tomorrow's longer events.

We'll start with the 250m TT soon.  I'm in the second heat.