November 12, 2005

Farmington, CT - Chainbiter 7.0 UCI CX - 9th

Game on!!

Today began the countdown to the end of the season, 9 races remain and hopefully all go as well, or better, than today. It's still hard going into these UCI cross races, they're just like doing your first NORBA short-track, you just don't know what to expect until you've done a bunch. I might be getting the hang of it, we'll see tomorrow.

I had a great 2nd row callup and capitalized on it immediately as I rode straight to 3rd wheel heading into the tight part of the course. After 3 laps I was still with the lead group but starting to suffer as I bungeed on and off the back of the group which included Wells, Anthony, Johnson,Cody, McCormick,Baker and Tonkin. I think I was the first to get popped off shortly after 3 when Wells attacked, the nail in my coffin as I was already on the rivet.

Check out the gap on McCormick!

I felt strong but maybe just went a tad too hard at the start and paid the price as I suffered pretty hard to stay on. The field was already blown apart and the gap behind me was huge so it wasn't very hard to ride with another guy until we picked up one more that came off the back of the lead group to make 3 of us. We rode consistently till 1/2 lap to go when I attacked the group only to take a bad line through the sandpit and end up 10ft off the back of 8th. I chased hard but the 50ft/5" deep sandpit was too much for my stork legs and I had to settle for 9th. I'm pretty stoked to have ridden with the leaders and to have seen the front of the race. It gives me alot more confidence and just like the short-tracks, they only get better with experience!

This dude had the power advantage on me in the sand at about 180lbs!!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

sweet race, do it up tomorrow! Don't be hating on the bigger riders you little light weight. Peace.

Anonymous said...

Here are a few photos
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bikeride/62621577/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bikeride/62627687/