Back from the opening weekend of 'cross racing in the Mid-Atlantic region. I'll admit to mixed feelings on the events that unfolded, but am optimistic for what the future holds. Please read on....
Nittany Cross (UCI Men): "I'm on a road bike. Wait, it's not a road bike, these tires are bumpy. And what kind of brakes are these? Canti-whats? Oh, I get it. I'm at a cross race!" This sort of sums up my day. A little confusion followed by the realization that I'm back racing cyclocross. The start was decent. Made up maybe 2 spots in what was a hectic but controlled start before we hit the first turns. I lacked the necessary pop and power to make my way up to the front quickly, but my handling was spot-on for the day as I made my passes on the inside about 90% of the time. Towards the end, started to feel the effects of last weeks crash at Bear Creek, but held my meager 21st position. The course was great, big thanks to the Mike Yozell who designed the course and to the whole crew on the day. Great way to start the Fall cycling season!
Charm City Cross (UCI Men): This was my first cyclocross race at the Elite level back in '05. Since then, the event has grown immensely to become one of the premier MAC UCI races. This course is fast and twisty, with challenging run-ups, sand-traps, and barrier sections that keep even the most experienced cyclocrossers on their toes. The last time I toed the line at Charm City, I was 5th on the day. Despite the lackluster performance the day prior, I took that knowledge to the start line and was determined to have a stellar day. From the gun, the start was much more hectic than the Nittany start. I had nowhere to go, and as we hit the grass I dropped my chain. Recovering quickly, I managed to stay on to the tail end of the pack as we made the first few turns and up to the sand-pits. I used these and the next few turns and punchy hills to my advantage to move back up to around 18th. I held this for the next lap as I reeled in a large group. As I caught on to them, we hit the long stair run-up and this is where things started south. My left leg, which is my lead-off leg for my dismounts AND the leg I like to jump with, started getting noticeably weaker as I went up the stairs. This opened the gap and I tried like heck to close it but couldn't do it. Stuck in no-man's land, I rode until a rider caught up to me and tried to work with them, but got dropped at the sand-pits, which I had to run most of by this point. This was the story the rest of the race as my leg got worse and worse. At the end, I was 25th, and glad to be done the first 2 UCI cross races of the season (glad in a positive way). Hopefully the next week will allow for my leg to fully recover and be back to 100% power.
Final Thoughts: With UCI points on the line, I really wanted to get at least 1 point on the weekend. I knew this would be tough, but I was hoping I could pull it off. With my limitations on the weekend, I can't be fully disappointed, but I know I'm capable of much better. Learning from the weekend and making improvements are the name of the game this week. Look for me practicing barriers before the Tuesday night clinic, and left-side dismounts. Also, I'll be starting at the back of the group during the Wednesday night workouts, as I'll definitely be starting towards the back at the big races!
Hope your cyclocross adventures have you yearning for more! Next weekend brings some new and some old again. Saturday is the new Whirly-Bird Cross at Bryn Athyn College, and is put on by the Guy's Bicycles Racing Club for the Pennsylvania Cyclocross series. Sunday is the fan-favorite Ed Sander's Cross in Buckeystown, MD, and is the first stop on the MABRA cyclocross calendar. Hope to see you out there!
- J
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