Lennard Zinn Gallery: Neutral Support and Podium Dangers at the Derby City Cup

SRAM Neutral Support mechanic Mike Spilker took a tour of the Louisville Slugger baseball bat factory and came back with this custom bat that reads: “When were you going to bring our wheel back?” (signed, SRAM Neutral Support). Spilker said they almost had to use it recently when a racer who had borrowed a wheel from them showed up at two more races, still using SRAM's wheel. Photo: Lennard Zinn | VeloNews.com

After my third USGP podium this season, I finally figured out that I had to put my bike on the Feedback stand for the appropriate step of the podium. Mark Wolowiec (left) and winner Jim Laird (center) are to my right, and little did I know what was about to befall my beloved bike. Photo: Lennard Zinn | VeloNews.com

Here the bike is nicely displayed, but this peaceful scene was short-lived; a big gust of wind blew over the stand and the bike (forward, onto the drive side). Unfortunately, the bike landed so hard that my Easton EC90 carbon handlebar was broken. Photo: Lennard Zinn | VeloNews.com

I needed a gulp of the winner’s champagne before inspecting my blown-over bike. Photo: Lennard Zinn | VeloNews.com

This is the damage the wind did while I was on the podium; the bike stand tipping over broke my Easton EC90 bar nearly all of the way through. Photo: Lennard Zinn | VeloNews.com

I loved that 48cm-wide handlebar. It was nice and wide — great for a rider my size, especially in cyclocross — while being lightweight and bump-absorbing. Now, however, it’s toast after merely being blown over by the wind. Photo: Lennard Zinn | VeloNews.com

I was ready, camera in hand, for the elite women to do their podium, as I figured the wind would blow the stands over for them, too. It did. Georgia Gould’s bike stand was the first to blow over. Photo: Lennard Zinn | VeloNews.com

Then Katerina Nash’s and Katie Compton’s bikes blew down as well. Photo: Lennard Zinn | VeloNews.com

Team mechanics then lowered the bike stands to minimize the potential for the bikes to blow over. But, as you can see, two of the bikes still blew over at the lower height; only Gould’s bronze-medal bike was spared. Photo: Lennard Zinn | VeloNews.com

Gould’s right brake lever twisted on the bar when the stand tipped over, but her aluminum PRO Vibe 7s handlebar didn’t snap like my Easton EC90 carbon bar had in the same situation. Photo: Lennard Zinn | VeloNews.com

Compton’s Bontrager RXL bar did not appear to have sustained damage, but her bike fell onto the stage, not all the way to the ground, likely avoiding handlebar damage. Photo: Lennard Zinn | VeloNews.com

Framebuilder Don Walker, promoter of the NAHBS bike show, handed Gould this rubber chicken during the race and promised to pay her if she would race to the finish with it. She reeled in Helen Wyman while holding the rubber chicken. Gould raises chickens herself, so it’s particularly relevant for her. Photo: Lennard Zinn | VeloNews.com