Team Gateway

2010 marked my third year of participation in the Gateway Cup. My prior two years’ experience in the race were limited to the perspective of a racer. I showed up and raced and had a good time. I didn’t give it a second thought beyond that.

I didn’t think about what it took to get the neighborhood to embrace the race…blocking off the streets…patrolling the entry points into the course to keep it safe…setting up “Johnny on the Spots”…making sure all of the volunteers had water and food…putting up the numerous tents and banners…signing in all of the racers and making sure that their waivers were signed…putting up the barriers…getting cars off of the course…alerting residents/businesses to the upcoming race…dealing with Buddy and when he got his lunch….and on and on.

This was the first year that I had volunteered to “help” on a fairly extensive level. Holy cow. What an eye-opening experience! Any race takes a good organizer and a herd of well orchestrated volunteers.

My first taste of an early phase of race preparation was rolling and passing out race flyers for the residents of Benton Park. I must give credit where credit is due. My good friend Teresa deserves credit for being the impetus behind this fabulous, technical venue. As I rolled flyers at Teresa’s shop, it was neat to see how excited the other business owners in her building were about the race. Those involved in the flyer effort ranged from racing cyclists to casual cyclists to those who didn’t cycle at all. The cause, however, was clear. Let’s make this a race to remember. One that is good for the neighborhood and racers alike.

Sunday morning came around and I showed up for my early shift on the Hill. We began to unload the truck…tents…water…generators…walki e talkies…registrations. The Johnny on the Spot truck showed up and was directed to the appropriate positions…the road barricade truck showed up and began to block off the roads. Tresses were erected…tents began to go up…banners began to adorn the barricades..t-shirts were hung in the merchandise tent. Don’t fire up the generators until Mass is over or you will be sure to be struck dead by a lightening bolt.What stuck out in my mind the most was just what all you can hold together with zip ties….Holy cow.

I’ve always been a fan of duct tape but I must admit the list of uses for zip ties is the closest rival that I have ever seen to that of duct tape. Zip ties truly are the glue behind any racing event. They secure banners, merchandise, tents, and flags just to name a few. I knew what a zip tie was but never truly became familiar with them until my volunteer set up stint.

In much the same way that zip ties secured the structures of a race, karma secured the execution of the Gateway Cup itself. You could feel it. We were all from different teams but were united for a common cause. Everyone pitched in as best they could and helped wherever they could. It was a great feeling! A real sense of team work amongst those who weren’t usually team mates was present. With Mike, Amy, and Heather’s guidance, the various set up, execution, and break- down tasks were accomplished.

Richard from Big Shark had a broken collar bone at Lafayette Squre. I had a separated shoulder at bike polo.   The two of us one-armed folks worked together to as a Big Shark/Hub team to zip tie the flags lining the finish line. It was cool.

The enthusiasm of the Team Rev cheering squad was electric. Lo, Suzanner, Jeanne, Ana, Ann, Britt, Janet, and Lo..the usual cast of enthusiastic characters.. you guys are incredible!  Holler if I missed anyone. Trust me. It is not intentional. It is just part of my blondeness.

Team Rev support was there for me on Monday. I had the noon to three shift in front of AB on turn 3. I had some beers  and my laptop to help pass the time. I even chatted briefly with some AB employees…not sure how they felt about the Schlafly Oatmeal Stout in my hand…anyway…it was a VERY sunny corner to say the least. Even with the beer, laptop, and new-found AB friends, it was a little lonely out there.   Team Rev to the rescue!  Ana, Alice, Lo, and Ann showed up to keep me company. They were all a little skittish about the sun. Thanks guys for risking melanoma to hang with me for a bit and pass the time.  You are the best!

I must admit that my own team’s cheering was the closest thing that I have seen thus far to the Team Rev cheering corps.

The Hub, my friends is one heck of a team and one heck of a cheering squad. I have never met anyone louder than myself until I met Ron. What a ball we had cheering! Holy cow.

Looking back on this amazing weekend and being able to experience Gateway Cup from a broadened perspective as that of a volunteer, racer, and cheer-leader, I have come to the conclusion that this event is a glowing representation to those outside of the cycling community of the amazing spirit that is alive and well within the community.

Attend any event from a Trailnet ride to a Thursday night track race and you will catch a vibe. A vibe of camaraderie…an unwritten rule to help your fellow cyclists…a common cause to promote cycling.

That is what I am talkin about. That is what was demonstrated this weekend.

Ride on my brothers and sisters…ride on.

Amen.

BR

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