IL State Cross Championships, Chicago Cyclocross Cup #10, 4beez
Montrose Harbor
FUN FUN FUN course! For me, this was the best course of the season, not my best finish (2nd best), but my favorite course. It had everything except mud; nor I did mind that.
A steady climb twice each lap, some technical greasy off camber switchbacks, went under 2 bridges, 2 steep abrupt MTB like climbs, 2 really deep sand pits and 2 minor sandpits. Actually had a couple fast downhills off the sledding hill on the backside. Part of the course went right along the lake and across the top of the seawall (I guess lakewall would be more like it).
I had the typical good start, probably has a lot to do with my aggressiveness at the start, I just need to maintain that throughout the race though. I think I’m a little too patient with other riders and their technical skills through the middle of races. That will be different next year. Although, I did tell one rider in front of me to lay off the brakes in some of the initial turns, as it was unnecessary and only hurting us.
The first lap I maintained top 20 positioning coming across the line. I slowly lost a few positions here and there to faster bikes. I rode the two big pits as far as I could on the first 2 laps; that actually hurt me on the first lap as I lost 4 spots because I had to unclip in the middle of the pit and finish on foot. It actually took more energy to ride the pits than it did to run them and was slower. The sand was really deep in the two big pits, easily 6” deep if you didn’t stay in the right line. The two smaller sand sections were no problem if you picked the right line and hit them with some velocity.
The last lap I lost a couple spots toward the end of the 2nd gradual climb on the backside, but I wasn’t worried because I knew I could hold those wheels as they came around and we had one more greasy switchback section and the fast sand pit left. The plan was to just stalk them into the last corner and then make a final jump. I had the 2 in front of me going into the last sand pit, which was about 10m long. I knew the money line through that pit and had just housed the thing both of the previous laps. As I approached the pit I ramped up my speed and pointed it towards the line that was going to launch me out of the pit with some good speed for the 50m home stretch on grass to the line. Just as I went into the pit the rider in front of me on the same line got squirrelly just before the exit of the pit (as was expected from this particular rider; as she is notoriously squirrelly in cross as well as the road! She will remain nameless but the girls know who she is) unclipped and fell. No worry on my end though, there was plenty of time for her to get up and out of the way….almost! She got up and as she was fumbling around slowly getting out of the way inadvertently rolled her bike backwards perpendicular to and into the line I was traveling with some serious momentum. BLAP! I nailed the rear non-drive side skewer of the rear wheel, which helped bounce her bike up and out of the pit and brought me to a dead stop 5 steps from the pit exit. As I’m forced to trudge the last few steps out of the pit on foot there was no fumble of her re-mount and got just out of reach before the line. There wasn’t enough real estate left to re-take the position. I crossed the line 37th out of 85 starters.
One thing I will work on next season for sure is my patience and aggressiveness through the middle portion of the race where I tend to get a little lax. Cross is aggressive racing and if you don’t stay aggressive you will inevitably lose positions at some point. Being patient with the rider in front of you allows the rider behind you better chance of catching you.
It was great to have Cathy and J there as always. Amanda also came out to watch as well as Cathy’s parents; which was really cool too! It was great having Kevin in a P5 jersey, we rolled together for most of the first lap until the first climb and he came around me and I never saw him again until it was over! Good job man and a great finish!
*1st lap, the big pit, Kevin hung behind me a little while longer before he pulled an AC on me on the first real climb
As the season is done now and I look back; it was a tons of fun!! Coming from a MTB background I had a little reservation going into the first couple races thinking it would kind of be a joke. I couldn’t have been more wrong. And it was way more fun than I ever imagined it would be.
Next season will come a just a little more seriousness (not too much) as I will be on a real cross bike and racing the 4a’s.
