Snake Alley

This past memorial day brought four days of racing in the heart of the Midwest, as we crossed the Mississippi river back and forth for the Snake Alley / Quad Cities criteriums, my first visit to the series. 10 hours of driving through the night, seeing nothing but cornfields for the last eight had me a bit worried as we rolled into the hotel early in the morning. After sneaking a few hours of sleep, we headed to the course to recon, when suddenly, out of nowhere, an incredible course emerged.

Snake Alley is a legendary course, unlike any other out there. Tell me where else in the world you get a crit that has a climb like this?
The grass and edges of the road fill with fans so racers are almost climbing through a tunnels of spectators. Unique, cool, and fun. It started raining at the beginning of the pro race, and ended as soon as they crossed the line, but it just made the climb that much more interesting.

In Iowa? Yes. Who knew!