The weather, though cold, was mostly dry this week, so the course was running super fast, and the slight rain of the day smoothed out a few sections and only made a few of the corners squirmy, so it remained fast even into the afternoon races. A slight change to last year's layout, the course featured a steep uphill that most ran but a few continued to ride, and an extended running section over 3 sets of barriers and two shorter log barriers further up the hill.
It was fun to watch the 1/2 field race through the course, and after a few laps I noticed that a rider was wearing a Garmin-Sharp kit. Since I know they won't let you race in team kit without being on that team I was trying to figure out who this racer might be. Turns out it is local PRO Tyler Farrar, getting in some fun off-season rides while he is in Seattle this winter. Check out that disguised Redline bike... Too bad Cervelo doesn't offer a cyclocross option.
When the 2:30 races started, a light rain began that would continue through the race and keep racers on their toes in some of the paved corners. On the gun I managed an ok start and climbed back into a good spot by the first corner. Miles Frank of Hammer nutrition got the hole-shot and quickly established a gap he would hold for the remainder of the race. My closest competitor, Patrick Leonard of Soft-Like-Kitten, had tried to catch his wheel but dangled off the back for the entire first lap as I pulled to connect with them. As we entered lap 2 Patrick had a mechanical that would drop him down the rankings (he would end up clawing back to finish 14th, but lose his 2nd place in the overall).
After a few laps of trying to reel in Miles alone, I was joined by Mike Foster of Starbucks and we battled for 2 laps before another rider (Matt Hornland - Mighty Riders) would join our group. Our group traded attacks and allowed us to extend the gap from the next group and for the next 2 laps we would switch leads as each rider gained the front in the section that suited their abilities.
For most of the last lap I was stuck hanging to the back of this group as we thrashed the course trying to shed each other for podium results. As we entered the final segments of the last lap I decided it was time to make a move and shot past both of them on the sustained gravel climbs and was first into the infield pit area. Confident that I had made it through the race without issue (I was now secure in my series win as there was a large gap to the next group and we were less than a minute from the end of the race) I let up as we hit the last two corners to make sure I was 100% safe and rolled across the line 4th for the day (out of 55 starters!) and carried a nice 6 point lead above Miles for the series championship!
One series in the bag, we next move back to the SCX series for the remaining 2 races of that series. I am currently 3rd place and heading into Steilacoom for our next race I hope to put down some killer speed and try to seize control of that series as well.
Congrats to everyone who made it out to race this weekend - I saw some new faces!
J Irons - Men's Cat 4 - 17th
Dave Matthews - Men's Singlespeed - 63rd
Jenny Dallas - Women's Singlespeed - 1st Place!!!
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