Here we are, hitting the latter half of the WA state CX season. Temperatures have dropped, the weather is generally getting more 'Cross style (with mud), and the diehards are out in full force. Since the MFG season has ended, most of the casual racers (even in the Elite field) have hung up their boots and packed it in for next year. The remaining racers tend to come in at the end, covered in mud and with a smile on their faces.
Sprinkler Park tends to be a course I do well at - areas where the Road fitness can play a part coupled with some corners to slow it up. Temperatures were on the cooler side, and to make things even better the clouds opened up during the earlier races, sprinkling a chilling rain for the rest of the afternoon. As a culmination of my increasing performances, as well as the dwindling field, I received a call-up and was in the second line for the start. As the whistle was blown, we shot off the line and attacked the course in full-force. The field moved through the first sweeping corner without much slowing. However, in the sharp 180-degree turn before the barriers, the pinching point occurred. Some riders got caught up in the loose turn, and I managed to sneak by on the outside, making for a top 10 position. I hung on to the tail of the lead group as we hit the first hill and swung back into the woods.
By this point, the leaders had broken the elastic and I was now hanging on the back of the chasing group as we worked through the tight BMX-style inner section of the course. We then flew through the sand-mud and into the second run-up. A few corners later, and I was onto the longest section of the course: a narrow and high-speed path back to the start line. As we started the second lap, I was still hanging with the chase group. We continued to push the pace to try to get to the leaders, but after about half a lap I was now in the no-man's-land behind the chase group.
I was caught by a few other riders and we worked together, gaining on the chase group ahead. After a lap on the tail, I made my move and was now leading the pack. We continued to hustle through the course at our pace and working toward the leaders. I definitely started to feel the work and with the other riders breathing down my neck, I soon found myself making small errors. These caught up with me a lap later and now I was off the back of this group
I managed to get my second wind and start peeling in the pack, and was shortly joined by another racer who had fallen back from the racers ahead. We traded off pulling, and worked our way toward the racers ahead. At this point we only had 2 laps to go. We continued racing along and I could see the racers ahead of us - we were nearly there! I now really put on the pressure, and my companion went too wide in a corner and I jumped past. This was the final lap, and I now had less than half a lap to cement my position and see if I could catch the others. I laid down all the power I had left and raced along the back section of the course and into the final stretch. Topping out my gearing, I raced toward the finish and ended up a solid 13th, just seconds off the tail of the group I was trying to catch.
There were only 22 starters, but I am definitely happy with my 13th place finish, especially when I was only about 3:30 behind local super-star Russell Stevenson.
Next weekend is the WA State championships, so lets see what I can achieve there.
See you out there and keep on racing!
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