Cyclocross Season Wrap Up
16 Dec 2008 Leave a Comment
in Bicycle, Cyclocross, Racing, Training
When I decided earlier this year that I was going to participate in the local Cross season, I anticipated racing into January. Cross Out the Old Year, Grot Prijs Shawnee, and Boss Cross (#3) are legendary winter races in the Kansas City area. As much as I would like to race in those events, I’ve decided to pull off the knobbies and transition to off season. I’m tired. More importantly, I’m tired of pulling on layers of winter clothes only to freeze while riding outside. So, it’s off to the warm gym, where I can gaze through frosted windows and smile, knowing I don’t have to be out there any more!
Aside from missing 3 or 4 races, I accomplished all the other goals I set for myself:
- Completed all races that make up the De Stad series, winning 2 races and caming close on a few others, which secured a 4th-place finish in GC
- Training was focused and provided great results without wearing me out
- Competed at the MO State Championship and the US Cyclocross National Championships
Looking back over the season, it’s easy for me to say that I learned a lot! I raced a few cross events last year, but never really grasped “Cross Racing.” Yeah, I know. Bikes are bikes and racing is racing. Still, racing cross is completely different than road, crit, or even MTB racing. There’s the obvious points: grass (mud), transitions on and off the bike, jumping barriers and so forth. Then there are the subtleties: ability to maintain power for the duration of the race, mental focus, and perhaps my biggest weakness, the ability to maintain speed through corners. I only thought that I knew how to turn a bike. Racing cross, especially the state race in Hermann, revealed just how much I need to improve in this area. There’s also the whole discussion on tire selection and best tire pressure for the course. I will be student of this topic for many races to come!
As for the actual races, I have to say that both races at Smithville were my favorite. Aside from winning both days, I really enjoyed the courses. They flowed well and presented enough of a challenge to keep it real. The KS Championship course at St. Mary’s was awesome, too. Too bad I felt like hammered caca that day. Otherwise, that might have topped the best course list. The spiral was over the top!
Now it’s time to focus on recovery and preparation for the upcoming road racing season. Hopefully I’ll be able to carry over some of the fitness gained racing cross.
I’m off to enjoy Cheetos and a few beers!
2008 Cyclocross National Championships – B Men 30-39
12 Dec 2008 2 Comments
in Cyclocross, Racing Tags: Cyclocross, National Championship
After realizing my starting position, my goal for the race was simple: to move up as much as possible, aiming for a top 50 finish. During staging the reality of my back-o-the-lot position sank in; there was an endless sea of racers in front of me. And, I saw a lot of big names in there. Brian Jenson (the winner). Tige Lamb. William Gault. Kyle Bush. Suddenly I found myself thinking not about a top 50 finish but more about not getting lapped!
During warm-ups, the course was frozen and very ride-able. After two races and rising temps, it was pretty much a sloppy mess when we started. It definitely was no where as muddy and nasty as the 2007 course, but a slop fest nonetheless.
Being at the back, I worried about the dreaded start crash or the bottleneck that happens at the first hard turn. Fortunately, there wasn’t a crash during the start. I heard tires rubbing and brakes screeching, but everyone was able to keep two wheels down. We rolled off the pavement and into the grass, and as the pack rounded the first corner, a rider 5 or 6 places up washed out and hit hard. I was able to avoid him and the resulting pile up, which moved me up several places. The race was strung out enough by this point that the first-turn backup never happened. It was on-the-gas, all-out racing.
I managed to pick off a few more places before the run-up/down at the top of the hill. The section was congested but never really stopped. As we made our wayback down the hillside two or three guys in front of me washed out in different corners. I’m actually surprised more guys didn’t go down. The course was very greasy, with mud on top of frozen ground.
I managed to maintain my position and even moved up a few more places on the second lap. Then, I started moving backwards. First, I crashed out on the hard right-hand turn coming off the hillside. It was so greasy I hit the deck and slide about 20 feet. No injuries but I literally had to dig in to stop sliding. I gave up several places as a result. So much for that magic inside line!
Next, with to laps to go, I had a bizarre mechanical at the top of the run-up. Some how, my brake cable come out of the bezelon the top tube. I thought briefly about going banzai down the hill but decided I would be better off to take time to fix it. I lost several places while I stood there, struggling to stretch the cable back into the bezel. I finally got it fixed and took off.
I worked my way around the course without any other catastrophes. There were a few slips and slides here and there but nothing that caused me to loose considerable time. I got lazy and allowed a rider to pass me on the last grass section before the finish. I grabbed his wheel and used him for a lead out on the finishing drag. I was able to out sprint him at the line.
I finished in 38th place, just over 6 minutes off the winning time. Considering my starting position and the brake cable problem, I’m very happy with the results. And, I’m already thinking about next year!
US CX Nationals – Starting Position
10 Dec 2008 Leave a Comment
in Bicycle, Cyclocross, Racing
I learned last night that my starting position for CX Nationals is 74 out of 92. Ugh. It’s going to take considerable effort just to move up. Considering conditions, this should prove to be a fun race…I really look forward to that first turn bottleneck! See you in the mud!
MO CX Championship
08 Dec 2008 Leave a Comment
in Cyclocross, Racing Tags: Cyclocross, MO CX Championship
Mark Kraus, Brian Laswell, and I loaded up the Yukon and headed east at dark-thirty for the 3-hour drive to Hermann. When we arrived at the venue, we were greeted by miles of white course tape. It was an impressive sight but it made for dizzying racing. How many times did we twist up and down the berm? The course was 2.1 miles long, featured lots of twisting turns and switch backs, a long sand pit–really two since there were two types of sand a distinct drop between the two, and the dreaded stair climb. The weather? Cold and windy, of course. Welcome to Hermann Missouri and the 2008 Missouri Cyclocross Championships.
We arrived as the Jr’s hit the course. It was easy to see even from their race that the technical aspects of this course would factor into placing well. Fortunately for them, the ground was frozen, which provided for decent traction in the corners.
We hit the course to warm-up as soon as the Jr’s finished. According to the schedule, we would have 15 minutes, which isn’t a lot of time to learn a 2-mile course. The Pro 1-2 woman’s race was scheduled to follow but ended up being scratched due to low turn out (indication that women are smarter than men???). That gave us a full hour to ride the course. I focused on the far north section, which looped 4 or 5 times up and down a berm and then turned hard up another berm, cut back down halfway, and then turned back up to the top of again before a fast descent. Picture an M built on the side of a hill. It was ridable but required serious power and balance because it was steep, off camber, and potted with deep holes.
When we finally lined up, I was placed in the 3rd spot on the front row, which gave me a dead bead on the first turn. The whistle blew and we were off. I made the holeshot but didn’t want to lead into the first turn. I sat up and allowed 4 riders to pass me. We snaked our way through the park, past the creek and then to the berm sections on the north end of the course. The first two riders were able to ride the “M”, but the next guy through came to a dead stop. Traffic jam! Everyone behind him had to dismount and run the section, which gave the two leaders a small gap. Best I could tell, I had fallen back to 6th or 7th. I started chasing after the leaders and was able to pass two but wasn’t really making up ground on the leaders.
The dreaded run up the stairs was next. Running up them wasn’t nearly as difficult as I thought it would be. The transition was on pavement, which made it a little more difficult to stop and get off the bike. Otherwise, it was just 5-8 seconds of running. The leaders were in reach as I cruised down the hill and transitioned back to grass. Then, in one blinding moment, everything changed. The sand pit got me. I rolled through the first section of sand only to wash out after dropping into the second pit. I flipped over the bars and hit the ground hard. Three more riders piled up on top of me. I shook everyone off, grabbed my bike and ran out of pit. Fortunately, I didn’t loose any places or suffer any injures. But, I did loose considerable time on the first four racers.
The rest of the race was pretty much tempo riding, as I worked to chase down the leaders. I caught the 4th guy on the start of the last lap, but seeing me must have inspired him because he hit the gas and countered my move. I was able to stay with him to the berm section, where he opened a sizeable gap on me. The next rider back also closed ground on me through the section. He and I rode 5, 6 through most of the course, and then he passing me in the sand pit. His transition and ability to ride the twisting section near the finish gave him a gap that I couldn’t close down. I crossed the line in 6th place.
Brian rode most of the race 1 or 2 places behind me. Then, on the last lap, I noticed that he wasn’t there! Turns out, he washed out in a corner and suffered a small mechanical problem. He was able to fix it and finish the race, coming in 12th place.
Mark raced the CAT-3 race and looked strong the entire time. He came out of the start mid pack and was able to gain 5 or 6 places over the duration, finishing in 11th.
A big shout out to Jeff Winkler the Masters 40+ Missouri State CX Champion. He doubled up and raced the Pro 1-2 event, and finished in 13th place.
I’m searching the web for photos and will post a few if I find anything. Brian mentioned that a cameraman was at the sandpit when we went down–Brian came in just behind the first pile up and executed a perfect Superman dive to head plant. Hopefully a few of these better moments were captured on film.
