2019 Ontario Season End Criterium

Looking down upon the cracked and broken asphalt, aggregate base exposed by the fracture, I aimed the lens down at the ground rather than at the approaching race. Broken pavement - one of those incidental photos that usually end up buried deep in the computer, rarely exposed to the light of day. It just goes to show, you never know what insignificance might turn out to be significant instead, when turned on its head.

Much has been written in recent years, including here at CLR Effect, about how road racing has become a broken thing, fingers pointing every which way, jabbing, as if to skewer blame, hold it aloft, and make it visible.

If road racing stands on less that solid footing, it was difficult to spot the broken pavement at Sunday's Ontario Season End Criterium. Whatever problems might exist seemed to be located off the course, behind orange cones; if you race bikes anywhere in the greater Los Angeles area (and as far away as San Diego), for a few hours at the end of the weekend Ontario seemed the place to be. Big fields in all the morning races ensured a steady supply of people willing to have a go, launch the next attack.

Where did everyone come from? Perhaps Dennis, dropping by to check out the action, had something to do with it. Like yours-truly, Dennis was a solid Cat 4 starter most weekends in the early '90s when we both raced with the Chevrolet / LA Sheriff club. Well, alright maybe it wasn't Dennis. Maybe the reason so may came out was the pragmatic reason after all - the last race in the Ontario series for this year, the Season End Criterium. Maybe. Of course, I am not discounting the draw of having the reigning National Criterium Champion, fresh off his second title, lining up for the Pro/1/2 race either.

Whatever 2020 brings to Ontario, the final race of 2019 was quite the send off.

There is a Google album with more photo, and you can check them here.