Well the first cross racing w/e is done and over with. And if this one is any indicator, it will be a long season indeed. I'd better get used to bike changes and changing tyres.
Good thing I got my single-speed in the pits. But I'd probably do a bit better if my other cross bike was there too. Yeah, I'll get right on that.
Quick recap-
Maggie-Moo's Barnyard Dash- Very hard ground, very bumpy, very fast, very slick gravel corners, two bales of hay to hurdle over. My race is on, then I'm on the saddle doing a superman after the haybales, so I'm off, then I'm back on, then a complete flat with about 2/3 of the lap to go. I think it had been going soft for a while. Get third behind my buddy from Alan whose name is Jed Snyder, and Phil Noble. It was good, I got lots of organic fruits after the race, got to see some old OH folks that I hadn't seen in over 10 years.
United Dairy Farmers UCI- Lots more people. More diversity in the course. Down right dusty in sections. Not really easy picking for UCI points, but not hopeless either. Betsy and I share one jersey.
Race is on and I'm off, but just for a moment, move up to the mid single
digits, then flat with 1/3 lap to go on the first lap. Grab the single-speed and off I'm going. Glad I have it, but boy is that front tyre sketchy. And the angles are great for my training, but a bit much for full on UCI racing.
And it's only got one gear!
So I fade to 17th I'm told, grab the fixed other bike and start my march back up
to somewhere. Each lap I grab another, until I'm up to 11th. The
little group of 8-9-10 is up a bit farther and I have three laps left.
Haven't been able to do the 20-20-20 thing, as it's been all out run down folks as I go. Making up ground, but my time is running out.
Close to the last lap and I start fading and making mistakes, and this is not the course to be making mistakes, lots of corners to keep one honest. Guy passes me back so now I'm in 12th again. Betsy shows her encouragement "Come on gunnar, you can get him!" to which I reply "He just got me." Opps. So that's where I end up. $63 for the effort, dusty everything, lots of Red Bull to load up on, more strange followers, and another dead tyre.
Betsy's race is better, cracking the legs of the womyn behind her, but a loose cleat keeps her from challenging the MI grrl for the win. Least she didn't flat, and she's didn't sweat too much or crash, so the jersey is in decent shape for my stint.
The bikes will be easy to clean, but the others still need to be put together.
Also get to check all my cross tyres. And boy do I have a few!
Thumbs will now be sore for a couple days to come.
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