When I pulled into the park on Saturday, I wasn't excited about the race. I had raced at this venue last year and it was obnoxiously hard. I got my bike down and got my helmet on and pre-rode about half the course before the first race of the day began. It didn't seem like it was as difficult as last year. The course started flat for about 100M. From there it turned around a tree and went downhill before turning and going right back up. That hill was a tough climb, long with a good grade. At the top, it jumped on the side walk and headed towards the lake. We swept left, off camber by the lake before turning to the hillside again. We followed the hillside with a sweeping right and uphill. You could get enough momentum on the downhill sweep for that little climb before doing a 180 and going down again. From there it was sweeping right and and uphill ending in an off camber left. Back down again and a turn to the right before a little two 180s leading towards the tennis course. Next was a hard left downhill, a short uphill left sweeper, and a 180 leading to the TALL barriers. After the barriers, it was downhill and back up to a left turn. A series of three 180s with a short downhill followed up a little steep uphill. It then turned left and had a gentle downhill before a gentle uphill and a sweep left to the start finish. All in all, a lot of climbing.
I warmed up in the adjacent fields, doing some hills and hard efforts. It was about 75 and sunny. We had nine ladies in our race. I got a full lap in on the course immediately prior to our race. The whistle went and Liz took off. I was sitting sixth and Alison passed me right after the lake. I worked at staying with her and passed her in the second lap. I kept pushing to secure a gap on her and I realized that Cat was in my sites. In lap three, I passed her on the long climb. She came around me again after the lake. I stayed with her and got her on the start/finish. Again, I worked to secure a larger gap. I could see Britta and Gina within distance of me and so I concentrated on catching them. The next two laps I could tell their lead was decreasing. I crossed the line and saw three to go and realized the leaders in the men's race were getting ready to lap me. The passed me after the big climb and I jumped on the second guys wheel. I went aggressively around the turn at the lake and slid right onto Gina's wheel as they went around. I rode Gina's wheel until the next set of 180s. We were getting passed by the guy sitting in third in the mens' race, a teammate of mine. Travis told us he was coming and where he wanted to pass. Britta thought he was me and wouldn't let him around. It slowed down our pace. I tried to take a gear off because we lost momentum. My drive train must have been under too much stress because it shifted hard and felt like the chain was going to drop. It was enough that I bobbled the bars and cut my knee on the cables on the top tube. I kept it upright, but lost the wheel. I rode hard the rest of that lap and the final one, but could never get back on. I finished fifth.
 |
| Pushing up the hill. I hate climbing out of the saddle, but this one required it. Photo credit: Mike Dawson |
 |
| Smiling & cheesing my way through it! Photo credit: Mike Dawson |
I felt like I did well pushing myself today. My handling on the corners was also pretty good. I struggled a bit at the barriers . . . the ones in this series are taller than any other races. I never feel like I can jump them, it's more like stepping over them. And turns by lakes at cx races still freak me out.
No comments:
Post a Comment