Boom, and I am back! After my recent re-fit, I am definitely putting down the power and showing the form I have been missing this season.
SCCA/Starbucks GP is typically toward the tail of the MFG series, and was the 5th race this year. Unlike when we race Marymoor for Starcrossed (which is generally warm and dusty), the GP is generally a more Cross-like affair with mud and cold. This year did not disappoint, with the day starting in rain. By the afternoon it had stopped raining and the afternoon races were held across a tacky mud track, with only a few sections containing the slicker mud from the morning. It was a cool fall day, but as the sun came out, it was definitely a nice day for Cross. A few pre-race laps showed that everything was running well, and I was ready to hit the course at full-speed.
The Elite field lined up for our race a bit delayed. This was due to course modifications made before the Elite women (they modified a smaller chicane into a much more abrupt chicane for increased challenge). On the gun, we shot down the front straight and along the paved trail before a turn onto gravel and then into the first pass of the pits across the bumpy grass. We then rolled around the front and then up a short hill with barriers before a off-camber downhill (I am sure this was rougher in the morning while it was more slick). It was then a short blast into the infield and along another stretch of bumpy grass.
While we continued to navigate the infield, I continued to move forward through the competitors. We then shot out to the back half of the course and into a short hill and decent before hitting the harder chicane. After the chicane it was straight into a long off-camber as we rode along the side of the hill and into the the second pass of the pits. Along the back road, it was high-speed and full-gas before a few short hill corners and then into the front again.
I was quite happy with how the course was riding and how I racing as well. The newly revised fitment on the bike was definitely working, as I was able to efficiently power along and keep the bike tracking where I needed it. As I mentioned above, the course had dried out and provided excellent hook-up for the tires. This resulted in high speeds and made for exciting racing as we were constantly battling each other for placing.
As the race wore on, the course began to take its toll on the racers. A younger racer suffered a loose crank bolt and soon I saw him abandon as he only had one crank arm. Other riders ran out of gas or had wipe-outs in the corners. On the last lap a rider from Rock Lobster managed to blow his chain and had to run in the rest of the lap to finish the race.
As I shot into the finish, I raced in with a Masters racer and ended up 21st of 41 starters of the Elite race. Definitely a pick up from the last few races, and a good sign of the progress I have been working on. Now it is time to carry this momentum for the rest of the season and hit up Silver Lake this weekend for Seattle CX #3. See you out there, and keep on racing!
Thanks again Woodinville Bicycle for the great photos.
