Leland Kermesse Prize

• The fine folks of Flatlandia will be bringing us the second edition of the Leland Kermesse this Saturday. Back as a junior (and a bit later as well) I raced dozens of these rough, technical circuits. In fact, as road closures became more and more difficult to achieve -- the promoters in my area increasingly designed kermesse-styled courses in rural towns just outside of the city limits. They were a bit different from the Belgian variety: more dust and tumbleweeds than cobbles and slippery mud, but just as windy and challenging. I rarely did very well in these events, thanks primarily to their flat nature and tendency to favor more powerful riders. But every once in a while, especially when the conditions were wet, a majority of the field would drop out and the wee racers would have a chance.

  I'm not really sure what to expect at Leland, but we'll be fielding a pretty big crew: nine Cat 5s, a few Cat 4s, as possibly one entry in the 123 race. It's the very first race for several of the Tatitos, so I'm sure the anxiety level will be high.

  The shop is donating the first place prize for the Cat 5s. This may turn out to be the nicest prize in this category all year. It's a custom TATI winter training fixie frame, along with a custom powder coat in the color of the winner's choice.