The Jesse Blancarte Time Trial is a long running essential event. For 2022 the race will return to the classic course at Gardner Airport, the straight out and back track, used for many years as a monthly test against the clock.
The event has deep roots. Early versions were held on a disused stretch of road near Liberty, MO. Flat but with frequent broken pavement. The race was mentored by Ariel Mendez, bike shop owner, cycling icon, and a driving force of the Blue River Bicycle Club.
The venue at Gardner was separately the site of monthly ‘training’ time trials, first hosted by the KCBC Racing team in the mid 90’s, then passed on to Chris Hesse and his NEET organization, then to Gina Poertner with assistance from Team Localcycling.com.
At some point in the mid-2000’s the BRBC event moved to the popular (and better paved) Gardner course.
The commonality here is the concept of the ‘club.’
As a training function, folks that have promoted and carried the torch for these time trials, understand their importance. All the club members that have worked as scorers, holders, traffic control, or race director, know the benefits to the riders. These are not easy events to ride or to produce. It takes a club.
The club component has been a critical motivation for the racers as well. Each of these events began with a core group of members from the host club as the initial participants. The camaraderie of suffering with your friends and teammates. The BRBC team deemed their event a ‘Club Championship’ for some years.
I won that championship when I was a member of the club. At the time, I didn’t completely appreciate it’s meaning. The trophy seemed a bit ostentatious (I didn’t win the event overall, but was the fastest from the club). The award gathered dust and was mostly forgotten.
The pandemic has made many of us more introspective. With limited racing opportunities and interactions with friends, the importance of those club connections have become very real. We missed a lot of rides. We missed a lot of conversations after a hard time trial, dissecting our performances.
My current club did a fair amount of ‘virtual’ racing during the worst of COVID. Strava courses were set up in a variety of disciplines and a time frame was designated to record the effort. And while these races were contested on Road, Mountain, and Cyclocross courses, they all functioned as individual time trials.
When it was apparent there would be few or no traditional State or National championships in 2020/2021, we held our own. A Club Championship. Even though remote, the need for a camaraderie in suffering was there.
The dusty trophy reminded me of how precious the bond of a cycling club can be.