Tour de Fort Lee Sept. 13, 2015...

I meant to post this thread a while ago, but I didn't. So I'm posting it now.

This tour, a series of criterium races for all ages and abilities, is co-sponsored by Nelson Gutierrez, proprietor of "Strictly Bicycles" bike shop in Fort Lee, New Jersey. I've known Nelson ever since he first opened up his shop on Main Street, and has since relocated to Hudson Terrace at a much bigger location, a couple of minutes from the George Washington Bridge.

There is a memorial ride every year that takes off from the shop in honor of Euris Vidal, age 26, a Dominican cyclist who was killed by gunfire in Santiago in December of 2013 and was a racer of some renown in the NYC/NJ area.

It really is a kick watching this video, knowing Nelson for as long as I have. Seriously cool. It's an AMEX commercial extolling the virtues of what he does for a living-

[video=youtube;9pat1usX8eA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pat1usX8eA[/video]

Here's the story-Dominicans don't just play baseball. They have been infiltrating the NY/NJ area cycling scene for years, and quite a few have ridden for the Dominican national team. Some work in the industry as bike mechanics, and the language barrier has never kept them from getting and maintaining jobs. They have a reputation of being some of the best high-end bike mechanics out there. They are extremely meticulous and do not cut corners on their work. I can vouch for this 100%, and so can many of my friends who also ride.

Get to know some of these cats and they will do housecalls and will give you a break on repair prices. Some also have repair stations in their apartments if you are able to drop by where they live.

The competition in this sport is vicious. On the local/amateur level, Dominicans have, in a short span of time, risen to the top. You can bet that among the heads of state at the starting line of any local race, you will find at least 2-3 Dominican riders (if not more) that everyone else is afraid of.

On this particular day, I took photos of the main event-the Men's Senior Pro/Category level 1/2. This is for professional riders, and riders in the Category 1 and 2 levels, which are the top two levels for amateurs. Among the top 10 finishers were 5 Dominicans-

1) Rafael Meran-Team Foundation
2)Augusto Sanchez-Mengoni USA
3) Stalin Quinterio-Dave Jordan Racing
9) Norlandy Taveras-Team Foundation
10) Cesar Marte-Mengoni USA

Last but not least is Dominican Alejandro Guzman. There's no shame in coming in last, as his job during the race was to set the pace for his teammate and eventual winner Rafael Meran. It was incredible watching him shred the field for his teammate lap after lap. This sport is a lot like ice hockey-you cannot appreciate the speed and fitness of these athletes by watching them on tv. You have to go to a race to really get a feel for the sport.

(Photos taken with a Nikon D5200 camera and a Nikkor AF-S VR Zoom 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED lens)





Alejandro Guzman in action for the Foundation team (center, in red/black uniform)-







The ageless Ray Diaz (Boriqua in the house!!!), right. This guy's been riding since before I picked up the sport and he' still out there hanging with the young guns-

What the Dominicans have brought to the local cycling scene is a sense of comradery and, more importantly, a sense of humor that did not exist among the Type-A corporate cats who used to dominate the local races and training rides back when I started riding. Most of them are good people who don't fit the typical stereotypes many (including myself) have been guilty of tossing around.

Back to the photos-

Last lap coming up...



Ay, mamita!!! Esa gringa esta buenisima!!!



Setting up for the sprint finish-

The Finish Line-





On this particular part of the course, there was a contingent of Dominican fans. They had the cowbells, horns, and were quite boisterous as they always are at these races. What I enjoyed the most was they cheered loudest for the rider in last place. Even though homeboy got blown off the back and was riding by himself after the front group left him for dead, the Dominicans would not let him quit. That's what I mean about the positive attitude and comradery they bring with them.



...and the photo finish!!!

So far, at the Vuelta Independencia Nacional Republica Dominicana (February 27-March 5, 2016), Rafael Meran (Aero Cicling Team) came in second on day two, and on day three Augusto Sanchez (Aero Cicling Team) came in third. Alejandro Guzman is also racing with his Foundation team.

One thing these guys love doing is riding on home soil, whether it's at the Vuelta, "El Triple Cien", or training in the hills and mountains of the Cibao region. If you're ever around guys like these and one of them asks, "Oje, y tu monta?" take it as an invitation to their next group ride. Ya tu sabes...