Cobblestone 'cross race report

Cobblestone 'Cross
Pole Green Park
Mechanicsville, VA
10/21/07

All we are is dust in the freakin' wind. UGH.

Last year this course was actually kinda fun. It was open and windy, but there were some good technical features, like a double sand pit- a volleyball court that we used both sides of, in opposing directions, so they were back to back, but you had to turn 180 degrees after the first one. You could ride the first section, but you had to run the second. There was a run-up that came after a downhill and off-camber u-turn. Excellent!

This year? Grass criterium, dry and dusty. We rode around some soccer fields, with one undulating section and 2 barriers. The biggest obstacle was probably the 20mph headwind on the finish straight. I think we did something like 11 laps, which is pretty much insane for a 'cross race.

Starting off, I got out front early, and drove the pace. Hard. Then I got attacked by the 3 guys who I knew would be the top riders on the day... And I couldn't hang on. So I rode in no-man's land for quite a few laps, struggling in the wind, and later struggling on the two climbs. There were no descents to make up time or find any rest, so it was a time-trial of sorts, which I typically suck at.

It was not a fun race, and I ended up in 10th- my worst finish placing of a VA Series race so far. I got beat by a few guys I normally beat, and my morale was a tad low afterwards. It wasn't my kind of course. I should have worked to stay behind someone rather than working to stay out front. Lesson learned!!! (Riiiiight. There's starting to be a pattern here.)