GamJams.net: Where Mid-Atlantic bike racers roll

New Featured Photo: Peter Swan at the RIR Crit

The sun is out, the road salt is gone, and new brake pads are still squealing loudly on carbon fiber rims. That can only mean one thing - it's racing season again. Peter Swan was at the Richmond International Raceway Criterium on Sunday, camera in one hand and suitcase of courage (or maybe lenses) in the other. He sent along a picture from what I think is the Men's Masters race, which I'm happy to post as this week's featured photo.

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If you have a shot that you'd like to see as a Featured Photo on GamJams.net, send it in. We try to update on Mondays or Tuesdays with a photo from the previous weekend, so push a few our way as soon as you wipe down your bike and/or your tripod. And no, you don't need to be a pro or even need to take professional pictures. Whatever shows it like it was works great here.

So have at it.

Submit your Featured Photo here.

New Featured Photo: Bruce Buckley at BCA Cross

Bruce Buckley was out behind the camera again last weekend, shooting through the mud and muck at BCA Cross, and probably standing shin-deep in it at times. Don't believe me? Look at the featured photo. Said Bruce, "It was muddy. Very muddy. So muddy that people were pedaling on some of the downhill sections to keep from stopping."

You can see the rest of Bruce's BCA Cross photos here.

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If you have a shot that you'd like to see as a Featured Photo on GamJams.net, send it in. We try to update on Mondays or Tuesdays with a photo from the previous weekend, so push a few our way as soon as you wipe down your bike and/or your tripod. And no, you don't need to be a pro or even need to take professional pictures. Whatever shows it like it was works great here.

So have at it.

Submit your Featured Photo here.

New Featured Photo: Bruce Buckley at Ed Sander Memorial Cross

Lots of photos were out at Ed Sander over the weekend, including Bruce Buckley who contributed this week's Featured Photo. The Ed Sanders venue is unique, and Bruce's shot captures that. One can also assume that there were few or no pond vs. racer incidents this year, or else I would have received many photos of them by now.

Bruce's other Cyclocross photos are here. The rest of the Ed Sander gallery will appear there shortly. Previously Bruce's photos were on a different site but not available for download. He's moved them all over to the site linked above, where you can buy downloads and order prints of your pain face directly. Which you should do - these photo sites charge a monthly fee, which photogs shoulder mainly so you can see pictures of yourself. Add-to-Basket not only helps with the expenses, but shows them you appreciate their awesomeness.

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If you have a shot that you'd like to see as a Featured Photo on GamJams.net, send it in. We try to update on Mondays or Tuesdays with a photo from the previous weekend, so push a few our way as soon as you wipe down your bike and/or your tripod. And no, you don't need to be a pro or even need to take professional pictures. Whatever shows it like it was works great here.

So have at it.

Submit your Featured Photo here.

New Featured Photo: Giro di Coppi by Jay Westcott

Jay Westcott did double-duty at Coppi. Not only did he snap the photo above of Jared Nieters (Haymarket / Homevisit) looking like he was questioning his decision to move to the front of the field; Jay also worked the event as a road guard. So not only did his efforts capture your suffering - they helped enable it.

You can see more of Jay's work at JayWestcott.com.

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If you have a shot that you'd like to see as a Featured Photo on GamJams.net, send it in. We try to update on Mondays or Tuesdays with a photo from the previous weekend, so push a few our way as soon as you wipe down your bike and/or your tripod. And no, you don't need to be a pro or even need to take professional pictures. Whatever shows it like it was works great here.

So have at it.

Submit your Featured Photo here.

New Featured Photo: Chuck Hutcheson at Clarendon Cup, by Reb Bliefernich

Whenever the pros come to town, a lot of us cheer instead for the local amateurs who beat up on us all season long. Maybe it's some regional pride at work, though it's also likely that we'll feel better about losing if the dudes (and dudettes) we lose to every weekend open cans of pro level whoopass when the occasion arises.

Chuck Hutcheson (Battley Harley-Davidson / Sonoma) found the occasion at Saturday's Clarendon Cup. VeloNews has a write-up of Chuck's feats of strength:

Hutchinson (sic) had escaped alone just before the Clarke group rejoined the field, and had been joined by Luca Damiani (Kenda) and Sergey Greshkin (Amore & Vita). For the next 20 laps, Hutchinson’s saga would capture most of the crowd’s attention as the group sought to lap the field and all but secure a top-10 finish among some of the country’s best criterium riders. But just as the group’s chances looked best, Hutchinson slid out in the course’s final left-hander.

We wanted you to crush it, Chuck. And we spell your name right. It's not Hutchison. It's N-O-R-R-I-S.

The featured photo of Chuck is by Reb Bliefernich.

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If you have a shot that you'd like to see as a Featured Photo on GamJams.net, send it in. We try to update on Mondays or Tuesdays with a photo from the previous weekend, so push a few our way as soon as you wipe down your bike and/or your tripod. And no, you don't need to be a pro or even need to take professional pictures. Whatever shows it like it was works great here.

So have at it.

Submit your Featured Photo here.

New Featured Photo: Bruce Buckley at BikeJam

Bruce Buckley covered BikeJam / Kelly Cup for VeloNews, and while he was able to talk them into running a couple of photos of our local heroes, he thought the one of Keck Baker (Battley Harley Davidson / Sonoma) attacking out of the field late in the race was more appealing to GamJams' audience. Baker went on to finish 8th, one of several local amateurs from Battley Harley Davidson, Van Dessel, Richmond Pro, Lateral Stress Velo, NCVC / UnitedHealth Group and Haymarket / HomeVisit to crack the top 20.

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If you have a shot that you'd like to see as a Featured Photo on GamJams.net, send it in. We try to update on Mondays or Tuesdays with a photo from the previous weekend, so push a few our way as soon as you wipe down your bike and/or your tripod. And no, you don't need to be a pro or even need to take professional pictures. Whatever shows it like it was works great here.

So have at it.

Submit your Featured Photo here.

New Featured Photo: Jay Westcott at RGS Title Chantilly Criterium

This week's featured photo was snapped by Jay Westcott, whose professional portfolio includes - but certainly isn't limited to - bicycle racing. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, Newsweek, and now GamJams. (Some GamJams readers might enjoy this gallery of Mayor Fenty, known around here as one of those DC Velo guys who works downtown and gets to enjoy mid-day training rides.) The photo featured here is from the Cat 4 race at the RGS Title Chantilly Criterium.

You can see more of Jay's cycling-specific work on his blog SmokingChain.wordpress.com. It chronicles his quitting smoking (9/3/09), buying a bicycle (11/4/09), and his burgeoning bike racing career (3/27/10). Definitely worth checking out, for the pictures and the motivation.

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If you have a shot that you'd like to see as a Featured Photo on GamJams.net, send it in. We try to update on Mondays or Tuesdays with a photo from the previous weekend, so push a few our way as soon as you wipe down your bike and/or your tripod. And no, you don't need to be a pro or even need to take professional pictures. Whatever shows it like it was works great here.

So have at it.

Submit your Featured Photo here.

New Featured Photo: Solo, by Dave Kirkpatrick

That's Joe Dombrowski of Haymarket / HomeVisit up there, and GamJams.net is certainly not going to be the last cycling publication his photo is featured in. Joe broke away from the 3/4 race at Vint Hill about 3 laps in and soloed to victory by about a minute. Then he turned right around and rode the 1/2/3 race, waiting for a couple teammates to get a break established before again launching to bridge with NCVC's Greg Abbott. The pair was successful, and ended Joe up crossing the line 5th in his breakaway group, 8th overall. Later that evening he was spotted at Carousel Frozen Treats in Warrenton, eating ice cream. He finished eating his ice cream first as well.

The photo is by Dave Kirkpatrick, who has another from the race on his blog.

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If you have a shot that you'd like to see as a Featured Photo on GamJams.net, send it in. We try to update on Mondays or Tuesdays with a photo from the previous weekend, so push a few our way as soon as you wipe down your bike and/or your tripod. And no, you don't need to be a pro or even need to take professional pictures. Whatever shows it like it was works great here.

So have at it.

Submit your Featured Photo here.

New Featured Photo: Anne Mader at SNOTCYCLE by Bruce Buckley

You think racing for two hours in 19 degrees and snow is the epitome of suffering? Try taking pictures. There are no fake pain faces in Bruce Buckley's SNOTCYCLE galleries. The Featured Photo is Bike Lane owner Anne Mader, picking her way through the slick and snowy singletrack. Over 4" of snow by the end of the day made the course icy, forboding, treacherous - exactly as the race promoters wanted it. Said Bruce, "One guy rode up on me and said, 'I'm always nervous when I see a photographer. That means it's a crash spot.' I reassured him, 'Everywhere on this course is a crash spot.'"

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If you have a shot that you'd like to see as a Featured Photo on GamJams.net, send it in. We try to update on Mondays or Tuesdays with a photo from the previous weekend, so push a few our way as soon as you wipe down your bike and/or your tripod. And no, you don't need to be a pro or even need to take professional pictures. Whatever shows it like it was works great here.

So have at it.

Submit your Featured Photo here.

New Featured Photo: Snow, Mud and Cowbells by Bruce Buckley

I don't know what local racers should be more grateful for - the perfectly miserable conditions for Cross racing at the Capital Cross Classic in early December, or for Bruce Buckley, who provided us with the first Featured Photo update in two months. May this one inspire you to conquer whatever malaise and inertia conspire to keep you off the bike in this winter's unforgiving conditions.

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If you have a shot that you'd like to see as a Featured Photo on GamJams.net, send it in. We try to update on Mondays or Tuesdays with a photo from the previous weekend, so push a few our way as soon as you wipe down your bike and/or your tripod. And no, you don't need to be a pro or even need to take professional pictures. Whatever shows it like it was works great here.

So have at it.

Submit your Featured Photo here.