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| terrible picture of me but you get the point (Photo credit: Katie Doyle) |
Day 1: Hood River Valley High School--incredibly technical course with only three, maybe four, good passing sections and a BUNCH of singletrack. When I pre-rode the course I knew this course potentially spelled disaster for me. In cross I am TERRIBLE at handling. Put me on barriers, run-ups, mud pits or any ridable section of course and I will lay down attacks until I either blow up or there's no one left in front of me. On the other hand, put me on a technical piece of course and I use the brakes like a trigger-happy Halo-playing teenager.
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| on the switchback run-up (photo credit: Stephen Street) |
The race didn't really start out in my favor for two reasons: single speeds started ahead of us, meaning a lot more people clogging the course and I didn't start in the front, meaning I had to pass even more geared bikes. Whistle goes off and the immediately go single file through the first singletrack. Make up some time in the straightaway but head into the next section of technical singletrack in a group of 3. This is where I fulfilled my quota of crashing for the race. Rear wheel slips (or was it bumped?) on some mud. I go down halfway and try to avoid landing on the foot-wide lane. In doing this a high schooler ends up pinned to a tree. Oops, say a quick "sorry!" and jump back on the bike. The rest of the race was pretty uneventful, it was essentially this pattern over and over again: go, go, go on the open sections, get caught behind people (singlespeeds) on the singletrack, rest up and let heart rate drop way down, go, go, go on another open section. That said, this race required a lot more strategy than a "usual" race. My winning move was made by depositing the race leader behind three singlespeeds right before more singletrack. By the time he had a chance to pass them I was long gone. Cruised across the line 28 seconds ahead of #2. Overall, good race.
And for you data nerds, here were my splits: 7:42, 6:56, 6:53, 6:50, 6:58, 6:57. After I was able to actually ride can't say I did too poorly.
Day 2: Hood River Fairgrounds (or something like that). This was the epitomy of a strong-mans' course--pancake flat, bumpy grass, a 30 meter mud pit with about 6 different kinds of mud in it and some ridiculously long straightaways. In case you didn't pick up on it yet, this is the "losing some" part of the story.
Geared bikes out first, no singlespeeds in the way and the course all to myself. On the start line I hear mentions of "watch out for that Team O guy" and "yeah, him, stick on his wheel." While this is nothing new it always makes me nervous.
Honestly, I don't remember much of this race. Soon after we took off it started dumping rain, then it was glaring sun, then overcast. I wound up 4th off the start and immediately picked off two people. Bad news. Half a lap later I pick off the last guy. Uh oh, off the front and 5 laps to go, not a good idea. I drop back and let Nat take over the lead. He holds it for a while but eventually drops off. Then come the d*** singlespeeds. A quick aside: John Rollert is an absolute animal. For being a weightlifter (and looking like one) he's one hell of a bike racer. Anyway, three singlespeeds blow by and drop of Brent. Singlespeeds take off and it's just Brent and me fighting it out. I attack, attack and attack again, I can't shake this guy. 'Well, looks like it's his time to work' and I sit on his wheel for the next 5 laps. He can't shake me but either isn't smart enough or isn't willing to let me take over the pace setting duties (which I'm just fine with). Blah, blah, blah: we complete 4 more laps, neither of us can drop the other and we're both trying our hardest not to crash.
Enter the last 200 meters of the race. As a preface, the mud pit is about 30 meters long, immediately followed by a flat zig-zag on grass in to the finish. Very close but enough space for me to make a move.
As we enter the mud pit there's two singlespeeds immediately in front of us. Instead of dismounting like normal and running from the gate Brent starts riding in.
S***, I'm already off my bike.
Well, let's hope I can make up the time.
Good, he's off his bike, I'm right behind him.
(I feel a tug on my bike)--What the f***!--(I look back to see the singlespeed's handlebar through my rear wheel)
Come on, that's my win!--he gets it untangled and I make up the ground
Ok, I got this--we exit the pit and hop on our bikes. He's 1 meter in front of me, I have this.
There's my gap!
On your right, on your right!!
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| you sir, are going down at our next meeting (photo credit: Jose Sandoval) |
To his credit, he did come over and apologize after the race. He said he couldn't get his pedal clipped in and slipped to the right. Sure, I believe him. It sucks that is came down the way it did and I doubt he'd purposely crash someone but he worked his butt off for that win while I sat in and let him drag me along.
That said, I'm still a firm believer in the belief that if the race comes down to a small thing like that, you don't deserve to win anyway.
Split times for Sunday: 6:04, 6:33, 6:41, 6:39, 6:36, 6:34, 6:40. I guess there's not a whole lot else either one of us could have done.
On a final note, I won the series. While I didn't feel like a winner on Sunday, or Monday, or today for that matter, the results don't lie. 1st on Saturday and 2nd (boo!) Sunday nets a win.
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| winnings from the weekend. I liked last weekend's prize better. Just saying... |
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