WoW!! All I can say is that now I have seen how its done!! Up until this point I haven't really taken cross too serious and usually just rode hard for a workout and said "ehh...its just cross.." That will change in the coming future, probably full bore next season, but I'll start taking it more serious now on. USGP is no goof off cat 4 cross racing that's for sure and every cat up from there it got even more hardcore. These guys were serious, it felt as serious as any crit. It was all business.
We left Chicago after work on Friday about 7pm, got to bed in Louisville about 2 am and raced at 8:30 am.
Day 1
Not sure the length of the course but we cat 4's were getting off the bike no less than 5x's per lap. Start is staged by reg order. I started 77 spots back. I was told we had 134 in the race, there were 118 pre-regd by the cutoff. Flat long asphalt start into a left down a wide fast hill. a set of barriers first, then run up #1, around to the right into the first pit called the sand dunes with last 1/3rd of it going downhill, ridable for me if it was clear. Out across a field, into some short singletrack, pavement, then the long soft sand pit seemed like 40-50 yds long. More grass field then onto the Green Monster which made our flyovers look like a kiddie toy. Down that and around the field again and into the woods with 3 run ups, 1 of which I could ride every lap, the last run up puts you up onto the asphalt home stretch. I was not ready for this level of cross but was going to do my best and lean on my MTB skills every chance I had. Went as hard as I could as long as I could and then went as hard as I could again. Was really aggressive on the asphalt start and loved it! No incidents of note during the race. 64 finished on the lead lap, 4 or 5 more were scored a lap down and everyone else was pulled. All of us that finished on the lead lap did 6 laps, i rolled in 56th.
Day 2
The course changed a bit, it was longer and more fast sweepers in the single track in the woods. Got a better start, hit the grass top 20 after being staged 44th, another 100+ field. Had a few mishaps, second or third lap through the dunes myself and the guy just in front of me were riding it and then he pearled (nose dive) his front end and came into me jamming my front brake under the rim. whoosh, there go about 6 guys while I had to yank the cantilever out and run out of the sand. My mid-race legs were totally dead, filled with concrete, pedaling squares! I knew I didn't have this day. I let up just a smidge on my pace hoping to be able to leave just a little punch for the last lap. Crossed the line for the bell lap and went at again, I knew I was finishing on the lead lap now and maybe I can snatch another spot or two. I had been riding back and forth with this same guy last couple laps, we would trade spots, pass guys together, but whenever I would pass him he would all of a sudden find energy he didn't have when I was behind him. I stalked him into the woods and he lost it and went down on the last run up, twice. That was it for him, I won that battle. Finished 58th.
All in all, it was awesome, I learned tons about racing cross and things that I need to work on beyond the obvious technique stuff, but racing and maximizing your own skills/strengths more to your advantage. These USGP races are serious business and I dug it!! Also, our own CCC courses are really good. Obviously not USGP calibre but i guarantee they are a lot closer than most of the country. Everyone that has an interest in cross should take advantage of the quality courses and races we have for our local series.
Video Elite Men: Sunday
Video Elite Men: Sunday
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