Cross Crusade Washington County Fairgrounds: I want mine

the only time I'd be with the field
(photo courtesy of Dave Roth)

While I didn't have the best legs on Sunday I had the opportunity and I was going to take it.  With the last place call up last week I got to start third row and I had my pick of exactly which fast wheel I could follow through the first lap.  After the first lap, there I was, in the top 20 and legs were opening up.  I was leading a solid group and I knew if I hung with them I'd finally be able to get that result I've been looking for.

Het Meer: alex, the human speedbump

I'll keep this short and with lots of pictures (all courtesy of David Kindstorm).  This course was super flat and definitely a good day to work on tactics, something I was looking forward to.  Unfortunately, a crash about 600m into the race turned this into a training day for me.  I tangled with another racer and there I was flying through the air and staring at the ground.  After using my helmet as a shovel I just curled up and waited for the carnage to end.  At some point someone ran over my left arm and I definitely have tire marks all the way up my right side, up my neck and on my ear.  Whoever managed to pull that one off, I'm impressed.  Truly, I am.  After crawling out from under my bike I decided today would be a great day to take a spin.  This was a really fun course and would have given me a chance to work on tactics and sand sections but it wasn't to be.  Instead, I just worked on the sand sections.

Cross Crusade P.I.R.: Spectacular legs

Apparently a week spent at elevation and a week not riding a bike does wonders for one's fitness.  Who would have thought.

photo courtesy of Matt Haughey

Today's race was awesome, except for a few mishaps I rode a perfect races.  That is if you don't count the last place call up, thrown chain, crash and subsequent bent shifter and thrown chain.  Oh, and the flat on the last lap.  Don't count that one either.  Yep, first time I've ever flatted during a race, either road or cx.  Well, I guess it has to happen sometime.

GPMC: Ninkrossi; that podium was mine

the start
(photo courtesy of Dave Roth)

This is still easily one of my favorite cx courses out there.  No, it's not a "true" cx course, more like a dirt circuit race with tons of climbing and a pretty unique course feature (below), but regardless, I like it.

Post-USGP Shenanigans

After the USGP I spent a few extra days in Fort Collins before heading back to Portland.  Below are some pictures of things we did in the sunshine before heading back to the rain.

visited the historic/haunted Stanley Hotel; Stephen King's
inspiration for The Shining

USGP New Belgium Cup: Day 2; Elevation is killer

I have decided I need to add two pieces of equipment to my arsenal in order to be competitive:  a mountain bike and an altitude tent.

definitely a better pick than yesterday's 72

Today was a totally different course than yesterday.  The promoters didn't even need to change the tape, the weather shift was enough.  Instead of the slip-n-slide we encountered yesterday today presented the perfect traction situation for me, tacky corners with a few rutted sections but just enough give to give your tires that little bit of extra traction.  While I could ride through all the corners and power up the hills without slipping I forgot about one thing:  the course is faster for everyone, not just me.

USGP New Belgium Cup: Day 1 Slip-n-Slide

After a crappy night's sleep I woke up to discover someones had turned on the tap, turned the fan up to 11 and turned the thermostat way down.  Outside my window it was raining like the apocalypse, with sustained 20 mph winds and a thermometer that hadn't broken the 40f mark.  This is cyclocross.  As if to get one more jab in I find that OBRA's Heiser Farm CX race is going to have perfect weather.

and I am missing this weather why?
(photo credit:  Matt Haughey)

Reflections on cyclocross

First of all, if you haven't seen the video below and have been even remotely following the state of our economy it's worth your time.  There is quite a bit of language in this.  You've been warned.



Ok, cultural quota filled.  I'm currently in Fort Collins, Colorado for the USGP New Belgium Cup this weekend.  I really wanted to do this race last year but logistically it just didn't work out; this year it did.

Cross Crusade-Alpenrose
(photo credit to Matthew Lasala)

Cross Crusade-Alpenrose Dairy: consistency

So originally this post was going to be about me sucking today.  Don't get me wrong, I didn't ride a great race today but I just made a revelation.

start line of our race today (photo unceremoniously
stolen from Embrocation Journal via Twitter)

Last year I placed 34th.  This year I crossed the line 34th.  That said, last year had 38 starters, this year had 81. I'll consider that an improvement.

Canby Cross-WORD Challenge

Short post for this one, Cross Crusade kicks off at Alpenrose tomorrow.

Well, I did it again.  Showed up at a race with a dirty bike and a race bag that had been thrown together that morning.  I really need to stop doing that.