Elite Rider Drew Dilman's Cheerleader Costume © Leslie McShane
Halloween is supposed to be for kids, and about 50 Junior competitors, almost one-fifth of the total entry, descended on the old River Road Country Club for the Papa John’s Storm the Greens, round nine of the Zipp OVCX Tour presented by Papa John’s. Junior riders Ian McShane, Ben Glover and Nolan McQueen from Louisville’s Team Red Zone animated the adult Cat. 4 race, but had to settle for the trick instead of the treat as an older rider known only as Frankenstein in the results took the win.
The day got off to a pounding start, especially for aging Masters riders suddenly reliving their youth, when Papa John Schnatter’s $250,000 hot rod Camaro was taken from its trailer and fired up. Overall it was a nearly perfect day, except that the wind was strong enough to keep the planned tethered hot air balloon rides grounded. Drew Dillman (team name withheld to protect the sponsor) tried to make up for the disappointment by racing in a cheerleader costume amongst the lead group in the Elite Men’s race until his cheerleader wig caused him to get hot and bothered. Taking note of how Dillman overheated in the costume, several riders immediately made plans to wear their own cheerleader wigs at next season’s January National Championships in Madison, Wisconsin.
Bob’s Red Mill swept the top two spots of the Elite Men’s race with Rob Kendall and Mitch Kersting, while their teammate Mike McShane outsprinted “young guy” Andy Messner (DRT/Revolution/Bike & Bean) to win the Elite Masters race. Niki Dallaire (Alderfer Bergen) took another win in the Elite Women’s class.
This week, the Zipp OVCX Tour presented by Papa John’s moves to a hunting lodge in the northeastern suburbs of Cincinnati for the annual food festival and bicycle race known as the Gun Club Cyclocross.
