Crashes (Tour de Ephrata)

Crashes are compelling events at bicycle races.  I'm not sure exactly why.  I'm set by personal history, a sense of pain and desire to help.  When I was seventeen, a drunk driver ran a red light and hit my car.  Bad news: bottom GCS coma score, brain surgery, left-side paralysis, much damage, long recovery.  Many folks did God-lovely things to help.

A bunch of folks crashed at the Tour de Ephrata in Lancaster County, PA.  My seventeen-year-old son chased a strong threat in the Cat 3/4 criterium:  he overcooked a 90-degree turn at about 30 mph, hit the curb, settled his bike and flew into a wall.  Lots of abrasion, deep bruises to his upper left arm and, later, pain in the clavicle/acromioclavicular area.  We swathed him.  JayDawg (who crashed Saturday) gave solace.  Monday's X-rays showed no fracture.  He'll race Poolesville Saturday.

Ephrata was the first bike race in several weekends without rain.  Saturday's road race had nasty cross winds and chalky light, but Sunday's Pain Mountain time trial and town criterium were better -- light gray sky.  1,000+ images.  More than I needed; whittled down to 170+ posted.  Shot most everything at ISO 400; sacrificed depth of field.  In retrospect, ISO 800 would have been better.

Ephrata images here; movie here.  Lots of race shots, brief crash series and some farm critters.  Though he crashed in the crit, my son finished in the money on Pain Mountain, so overall the weekend was a great success.