China CX Part 2: Race Day

The Qiansen Trophy Series is China's first-ever UCI cyclocross race. Sponsored by the Qiansen Engineering Corporation all riders were provided round-trip airfare and a week's worth of transportation, food and lodging at one of Yanqing's premier spa and resort. This post is the second in a series that attempts to relay just a few of the incredible moments we, as riders, were blessed to experience.
China CX Part 1
So by now you know that we haven't been sold into white slavery and that this race is actually happening.
Over the previous days we had ample opportunity to ride the course and familiarize ourselves with all the little quirks. Good thing too because this definitely isn't one of those courses you show up an hour beforehand, spin two laps and then go race (at least for me anyway). According to others, this was a full-Euro course complete with steep and slick drop offs, a sharp turns onto pavement and then another sharp turn to go right back up. We got our first ride on the course Thursday, after a few days of rain earlier in the week. Seems like half of us hit the ground at least one. Yeah, one of those kind of courses.

Beligian U23 bike after first course preview
those two black lines aren't supposed to be there
"added vertical compliance"

China CX Part 1: Pre-Race

The Qiansen Trophy Series is China's first-ever UCI cyclocross race.  Sponsored by the Qiansen Engineering Corporation all riders were provided round-trip airfare and a week's worth of transportation, food and lodging at one of Yanqing's premier spa and resort.  This post is the first in a series that attempts to relay just a few of the incredible moments we, as riders, were blessed to experience.

Hood River Double Cross

one of my new favorite pictures
(photo courtesy of David Mackintosh)

Ok, I let this one get away from me so please forgive the brevity.

I went into this race with legs already loaded up with the intention of getting one final effort in them before heading off to China where my training would inevitably be interrupted.  Not that I head much of a plan anyway...

Het Meer: Gets me every time

into the sand
(photo courtesy of Matt Haughey)

This race is always kind of a grab bag for me.  Two years ago I crashed in the first quarter of a lap and last year I managed to ride a steady, uneventful race.  This year was kind of a cross between the two.

I lined up right next to Trebon on the start line because that seemed to work well last week but unlike last week we had 200m+ of gravel before the course narrowed down.  Looks like no sneaking off the front by sitting on Trebon's wheel this week.