Dallas MS 150 (Saturday)

Sure enough, that alarm went off awfully early this morning! But, I managed to get up and into the shower. Somewhere I ended up in a time warp though and we left the hotel a few minutes late. Oh well, that's why I'd built in some spare travel time to the morning schedule. Unfortunately, it was not the best weather for a ride. It was chilly and windy! The flags were already standing straight out and it was going to be a head wind from the start of the ride, for at least half of the day for the riders. Pete was glad for the decision to shoot the event and not ride in the cold and the wind.

I was amazed that the start line was not completely set-up when we arrived. We said our hellos, got some coffee, and started wandering around grabbing photos. The Dallas event has the top ten teams line up in order at the start line. It was nice to see the big team gathered and starting together. The organization of the event is different than what we've experienced at other events. Thankfully, I was able to get answers to questions by going to my contacts to look things up in the "weekend manual". It's so much easier to be in the right place to capture the photo of the moment when you have a heads up of what is happening when and where.

After the dignitaries spoke, we said the Pledge of Allegiance, and sang the national anthem, the ride began. Seeing the teams start together and the teams hanging back to allow their captains to be on the start line was a neat moment. I'm always amazed at the variety of riders at these events. Of particular interest to me was the number of tandem riders. But there are riders of varying skill levels and physical abilities. Plus with the variety of bike types it's just an amazing gathering of so many styles.

Once all the riders were on the road, we headed for the truck. Our first stop was on the shoulder of the highway to capture shots of the riders on the access road. The cyclists were still finding their pace and those matching that pace, so it made for some good shots of bikes taking up multiple lanes.

Then we sat in traffic as the riders made their first left turn. This gave them a bit of a break from the head wind, but simply made it a cross-wind, so they could no longer hide behind a rider in front of them. As we sat at a light, Pete heard the unmistakable sound of a fire engine's Q siren. Sure enough, there came an engine and then an ambulance. We quickly hoped it wasn't a bike accident. Unfortunately, a few blocks later, we arrived at the scene and it was a bike accident. Not only that, it was a Feisty Devil team captain! We learned later that Doug had taken a tumble over a couple of bikes and his shoulder had cushioned his fall. They took him in for x-rays just to ensure nothing was broken.


We stopped at a breakpoint that was in a farmer's front yard. Military personnel were passing out Power Bars and flags were flying in the wind. The riders were in high spirits still and weren't letting the wind get to them. We got back on the road and had a line of riders draft behind us when we couldn't pass on the road. I guess the bus does make a good wind shield!


Then we got to the lake! This was the location I'd been waiting for to get some cyclist shots with scenery. Sadly, the only turnout on the bridge was taken by a Bright Room photographer, so we went to the far end of the bridge. At this point, the need for the shot took over Pete and he pulled out the ladder and climbed on top of the truck before I knew what he was doing! I did my classic dash across the highway and stand on the shoulder for the shot. It was a neat spot. Next year, I'll take a bike and pedal up to the driveway on the bridge and share the spot with Bright Room!


Then we were off to lunch. We still arrived before most of the cyclists. It gave us an opportunity to get some shots of the volunteers getting things set-up for lunch, and of the clients with MS there to greet the riders. We took a brief break to inhale a sandwich and then went back to shooting. The wind was still strong, so it was cold if you weren't in the sun. A cyclist had a wipe out that tore up his jersey, but he was still going, just needed a quick wound cleaning at the medic's tent. We got an update on Doug's shoulder injury, offered to take any team gear they wanted to drop, and then were off.


After a brief detour where we weren't allowed to follow the cyclists on the road, we found the route and were back on our shooting assignment. I was becoming a pro at sitting backwards and hanging out the window for the shot. Pete was great at announcing top fundraisers, Feisty Devil team riders, or other upcoming shots. As we passed Alyse, he hollered hello while I snapped the shot! At the next turn, we blocked the way, allowing the riders to make the right turn without stopping. Cyclists at heart!


As we came through the town of Justin (so much for my boot shopping break) we discovered road construction on the route that had not been announced! This is the point I know Pete would have stopped at and caught a SAG to the overnight. I took a couple shots, but knew that the construction was enough and the riders would not be thrilled about photos with construction in the background anyway.


Finally, we arrived at Texas Motor Speedway. I suddenly understood what Pete meant about how you "can see the speedway a mile away, but it takes you six miles to get there!" Not an exciting end to day one, in my opinion, for the riders. The team village was happening though. Lots of friends and family already at the tents awaiting word on when their loved one would be riding in. We got our shots of the grounds, made ourselves available for team photos, and enjoyed the afternoon.

The team bonding was contagious. The gratitude from the clients with MS was everywhere. The excitement of the achievement of the first day's ride completed through the winds was overwhelming. The friendships, love, and gratitude were everywhere you looked. As we left for the evening to head to the hotel, there were some riders who had still not gotten in from the ride. One friend was sitting along the chute at the finish line holding her sign thanking her rider. This spectator had been there waiting, in the sun, when we arrived at the Texas Motor Speedway this afternoon. That's the dedication and gratitude that surrounds these rides!