Trans Iowa Thoughts: The Countdown! 4

All-righty-then! Here is a big post full of news that you'll want to pay close attention to. Lot's to tell today!

The Oakley O-Down At The Barn: This is going to be quite the party for those associated with Trans Iowa V6 . Don't worry about where it is right now, you will get detailed directions at the Pre-Race Meat-Up on Friday, April 23rd at the Grinnell Steakhouse. All you will want to know for now is that you and your support crew/person are invited to this dealio which is set to start out at 7pm Saturday evening at The Barn. (It is a real, honest to goodness barn-yo!) The Barn is going to serve as our finish line, post race awards ceremony site, and informational center, so why wouldn't you want to come? Well, how about some beer and munchies that will be available there? Not enough? How about a campfire and good people to hang out with? Yeah.........trust me. This is where you will want to come to hang out if you DNF as a rider, or if you have support folks, this is where you want to send them.

The plan is for Oakley super-rep, Rob V to open up The Barn at about 7pm. There will be parking available a short walk from The Barn. Restroom facilities will be at this parking lot. The Barn will be where I and d.p. will be calling in all the updates from our volunteer crew and Rob V will be making announcements and posting all the latest there on a dry-erase board. Rob said that if you have a tent and want to throw it up for a place to nap during the wee hours, feel free to plan on that. The Barn itself is finished on the inside and is a great place to hang out. The Barn will be open all night and throught to the end of the event.

Awards Ceremony: We have not had a "proper" awards ceremony since the make-shift awards ceremony at the Kwik Star for T.I.V4, and really, not since T.I.V3. Well, that will change with the Awards Ceremony At The Barn that will commence immediately upon the cut off for T.I.V6 Sunday afternoon, or whenever we determine no riders are left in the event before that. Of course, we advise that you be there bright and early Sunday morning to welcome in any finishers to The Barn that there may be. The more the merrier! The latest the awards will be going on is until 2pm Sunday since I am almopst 100% sure the latest the cut off will be is 1pm Sunday afternoon.

Of course, our great sponsors will be featured at the awards with Oakley eyewear going to the top finishers that will have "Trans Iowa Winner" engraved on the lenses. Also, Oakley is providing a red colored frame set for some eyewear that will go to the Trans Iowa V6 last place finisher. Traditionally in European racing, the last person to finish each days stage in a stage race is called the "lanterne rouge" and we are calling this prize the T.I.V6 Lanterne Rouge Prize. So even if you are not in contention to win, you can grab something for just finishing, and finishing last!

Salsa Cycles is also stepping up to support you guys or gals that gut it out to finish Trans Iowa by offering one lucky finisher with the "Adventure By Bike Prize" This one will go to the rider we feel had the most arduous, adventure filled ride in T.I.V6. (Last year's ride by Charlie Farrow is an excellent example of what we mean). This lucky rider will get their choice of one of two great choices that represent Salsa Cycles new commitment to adventuring. The Fargo or the all new Vaya will be your choices if you are chosen for the "Adventure By Bike Prize". (The decision of the Race Directors will be final in this category. Only individuals that complete T.I.V6 in the alloted time will be considered for this award. You need not win, just finish!)

  The recipient of the prize will recieve instructions on how to contact Salsa Cycles and choose their very own adventuring rig. Thanks to Salsa Cycles for this outstanding prize for T.I.V6!

We'll also be getting some special prizing from Epic Designs that will only be revealed shortly before the event. These will be awarded amongst random finishers of Trans Iowa as well. Epic Designs products are used by several gravel grinding freaks and are a valuable addition to anyone's arsenal of gear. Check out their site for the lowdown on what Epic Designs is all about.

We'll have other prizing going out during the Pre-Race Meat-Up from Velocity U.S.A, Trek, Banjo Brothers, Ergon U.S.A. Guitar Ted Productions, and others.

Need Something To Do While The Nut Cases Are Racing?: How about bringing your bike and going for a ride with Rob V on "Rob's M-COGG Ride"? We're going to give you the chance to do a wee bit of gravel grinding on some of the same roads that T.I.V6 will be using! After the start at 4am, the riders will head out to the first checkpoint and be long gone, but you can hop on the same starting section and ride with Rob on the M-COGG at 10am on Saturday morning. (M-COGG stands for "Metric Century Of Gravelly Goodness".) Rob will lead a "no rider left behind" type group ride at 10 am from in front of Bikes To You in downtown Grinnell. Right where T.I.V6 took off! You'll ride out on the first loop using the same roads T.I.V6 did, and you'll get to see the tire tracks, the sights, and maybe even some left over parts from racers bikes that fall by the wayside. The ride will loop back closer to Grinnell and then back out again for even more gravel if you want. (You can bail out at any time). The last section will take you over the roads being used in the final miles of T.I.V6 before the riders in the event see them! Expect about 63 miles total if you do the entire route and the ride will last until mid-afternoon depending upon the speed of the group. Make sure your rig is gravel ready, that you can support yerself, 'cause there ain't gonna be no sag, and wear an approved cycling lid ya'all! Need to know more? E-mail me here.

More details to come next week. Stay tuned!