This past weekend Victor Ouma hosted the biggest, baddest, most insane alleycat in the world and it just wrecked NYC streets once again. This year competitors traveled from all over the world to compete in this brakeless fixed gear street race.
only the brave and courages came out to race in freezing 35 degree weather with rain and snow throughout the race.
Henry Leyva – 3rd place
Heres how monster track started
My hips hurt, my head was killing me, because I had ran into a pedestrian during the rookie race in the bronx a week before Monstertrack. I thought to myself did I even want to race Monstertrack. I told James the day before I’m going to follow you. I want to see you win, I wanna see you on podium.
He gave me that look like I wasn’t able to keep up but regardless it was lit.
I went to bed by 4 am and woke up around 10:30am
I thought to myself “Damn i don’t want to race today but fuck it I’m about the bulture, I’m gonna do it for the bulture”
We all get lined up and victor was handing out our manifest. I told James to map it out, I’m following.
The first checkpoint was 200 water, James was the first one to get his manifest signed
345 hudson was the next checkpoint and after I get this manifest signed and I bomb down 6th with buckets and Jerome. I’m cutting traffic like a maniac and lines I shouldn’t be taking.
At this checkpoint I see James Buckets and myself. The next checkpoint was 40 commerce. We were the first ones there and no more than 3 seconds later the chase group arrives, which is Crihs Buckets Chas Nico Tony
313 W 38 City Bicycles was the next checkpoint and on our way there were going up 8th ave and Dominican Crihs passes us and says “This the front pack right” then he tapped me on the shoulder then blew through the red on 8th ave and 14th. He started killing these streets like a monster! Eating every light and taking every dangerous line possible. He was a monster! I was almost scared to even take his lines. James started taking his line following this maniac. Were going north and I’m thinking “these guys are taking some crazy ass lines I don’t know if I want to do all that”
My pedal got stuck on some ice and lost all my momentum, I almost gave up, I take a deep breathe, crack my back, and focus up. I catch back up to James back at Citi bicycles. James Nico Chas Buckets Tony and David all run up and get our manifest signed. The next checkpoint was 5 Times Square and we run against the grain on 7th ave. I lost James again.
Now I’m heading to W122 and Riverside Drive back up 8th ave. Its me, Nico, Chas and Buckets. We lost James we lost Toni and we lost David and Crihs
buckets was falling off the back. It went from 9 of us to 2 of just me and Buckets going uptown.
Buckets is 6’3 and I’m 5 ’11 and he talking bout draft me… in the rain.
We ended up catching up to Toni, I peep him CX mount back onto his bike, when I asked him what happened he told me he just got hit by a car!
I cut over to Riverside Dr and paced and I ended up getting to the checkpoint I catch up to Crihs Toni and James as they were leaving. I started cutting towards 110th and 5th ave checkpoint and I cut through a live constructions under operating forklifts and construction workers throw ice snow and sludge.
I sign my manifest and start bombing down 5th ave as I looked down 5th I see them riding around 71st and 5th like little ants. I cut to 2nd ave, I prayed for greens and I caught the wave down 2nd ave to the next 262 east 68th and closed the gap just by a tad. catch more green aves on my way to 604 2nd ave. and I’m barely behind cause the lead group just left that checkpoint. I’m heading to Ave C checkpoint and I see toni pass the checkpoint. Felipe tells me “you’re sitting in 3rd papa keep going papa!” I’m heading to Chari and co and I see Toni heading back to the checkpoint I just left!
Jason Colon -2nd place
I woke up that day and the first thing I thought to myself was “How the hell am I gonna do this” We had the worst weather possible for the Alleycat, below freezing, rain, and snow!
Went to the bike shop, I found out my bikes not ready to ride then Arslan offered to let me race his Cervelo. I showed up a hour early and 25 minutes in, I get front flat. I fix the flat just in time for the line up of the race. GO!
There was so many people at 200 water street. I was the last one to leave out the top pack, James had a lead by 10 mins! I see someone reaching for my manifest and i thought someone was trying to jack me but it was Vic handing me off his manifest because his was signed already. I caught up to Henry Nico and Chas heading to Hudson commerce then bombed up 8th and dropped my phone on church I dropped the hammer to catch up with the pack again noticed Crihs missed Citi bikes. I dropped Nico and Chas and Henry then was 2nd at 122nd checkpoint then I go to 110th then to 68th and caught up to Crihs. We was supposed go to Red Lantern then Haven but I split up with Crihs because I went to haven then back to red lantern.
Crihs was a good 5 blocks ahead of me and I’m under the impression I’m 2nd place and I put my manifest back in my pocket then I pull up to beast of bourbon I look to my left and see Chris so I rush inside and I couldn’t even feel my fingers. I tried to pull out my manifest but it was only in enough time for 2nd
Crihs Thorman – 1st place
The start was good there was no bullshit and it was on time
I showed up late and couldn’t really route myself. I had an idea but I didn’t see 200 water but I thought the manifest exchange was at polo courts and initially I was going up broadway.
I was thinking what cooper said “I’m going to 200 Water”
we took the long way to Water street and there was 20 people already there dog piled on the checkpoint worker I had to climb on a scaffolding and put the paper in front the workers face and got my manifest signed then dipped.
Nico and I ended up catching up to James and henry as they were leaving 345 hudson
then I caught up to James around commerce and Nico and I got separated was and I did know where 5 times sq. I google mapped it on my phone and meanwhile everyone was going to Citi bikes and I had fucked up again and I had to go back to Citi bikes and now I’m going back to Citi bikes went against the grain on 8th and took 10th ave to Amsterdam up to 122 riverside and beat everyone there and buckets caught up and
we both got hit by cars I slipped it was freezing cold and raining
it was just a brutal race between buckets and I.
We called victor and told 30 east 56th no one there so we had took pic and bounced. Then we went to Brooklyn and I thought I took the faster way to flushing and Knickerbocker then the 2nd one was red lanterned so we took the manhattan hit red lantern then I was by myself Jason got lost took park to flushing slipped again! I was freezing had no gloves and I see Jason ride right by on myrtle towards Beast of Bourbon (The Finish) He pulls up and he opens the door and I run right in behind him and pull my manifest out and hand my manifest in and he hits it out my hand. He still didn’t have his manifest out and my hands were so numb from the cold I struggled to picked it up I couldn’t feel or see a thing. Luckily I was able to grab it and give it to the girl and took 1st!
