Ed Sanders Cross
Buckeystown, MD
September 28, 2008
B Men
I'd never done this race, but I'd heard really good things about it. It's in a lily farm called Lilypons- basically a series of small ponds with different lilies growing in each. And the course goes between all the ponds, and on some access roads around the property. Ed Sanders used to work at Lilypons, and passed away much too young. Lilypons honors his memory by holding a race there every year, and proceeds go to fund his son's education. Good cause, good course!
The pre-ride pretty much took care of the clean bike- mud, gravel, and grass had collected everywhere. I knocked as much as I could off before staging...
At the start, I'm pretty far to the back of staging. But I hear my name called, and I end up on the second row. I had finished the previous year's MABRA series in the top 15, so I got the callup. I had no idea they'd be doing that- it worked to my advantage, though, as I went from starting on the 6th or 7th row to 2nd- there was a turn early on that would be critical.
Off the start, I'm in good position. A little further back than I wanted to be, maybe 5th or 6th. But I made it through the first tight chicane okay- didn't take the line I wanted, but stayed in the top 10.
After the first lap, I'd moved up a bit to about 8th, but the top 2 were in a group, and the next 4 were in a group. I was aiming to pick off somebody each lap, and I almost succeeded, but not without incident. A teammate had told me about a water hole that was very deep off to the left side of a fireroad descent. I saw it on every lap, and avoided it until I was about to pass one of the guys I was chasing- I took a slightly wide line so I could see around him, and my line pushed me into the hole. It may have been about 1.5 feet deep of cold and muddy water. It didn't stop me, just caught me off guard. But all the ground I'd made up, I had to make up again. I rode the entire course for 3 laps by myself and gave everything I had on the last 2, and caught one guy each lap, though... and ended up in 6th, almost catching the group of 2 in front of me on the last lap.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Charm City Cyclocross 2008 report
Charm City Cyclocross
Baltimore, MD
2/3/4 Men
September 21, 2008
The first 'cross race of the season is always interesting- you don't know exactly what your fitness is like, and you don't know what everyone else's fitness is like, either. At least for this race, the course was almost identical to last year's.
The start in a 'cross race is always key, and I've trained hard to get a good starting position. I have the registration dates and times in my head, and the credit card entry down to a fine science. Seriously, though... a close-to-the-front spot is critical, especially on tight courses. I was on the second row. In the mad dash to the first turn, I stayed pretty much in the top 10, which is where I wanted to be.
We entered the course from the prologue loop in a pretty strung out line, and made it through the first off-camber chicane pretty easily. No major pileups, at least not in the front group. I can't speak for everyone else in the back- that could have been carnage, but I wasn't about to look back.
The race started to separate pretty early on- there were about 3 groups of 4, 3, and 3 in front of me, so I was still riding in about 10th. I couldn't manage to get close to the group in front, so I stayed by myself for most of the race.
With 2 laps to go I was caught by a guy from HVB- I stayed in front, and would gap him on all the technical sections and climbs. But on the run-up and the sand, he would get really really close. Near the beginning of the last lap, he ended up passing me. Unfortunately, about 3 more guys passed me as well. I dug deep to get on a wheel, but I really didn't have it. My back hurt more than my legs, but it was a futile effort by then. I stayed in sight of all 4 the whole rest of the lap, but couldn't quite catch up.
In the last few turns, I could see the HVB guy just in front of me, and I knew I was riding the turns better than he was, so I used my speed to get close. Then, on the exit to the pavement, he was within about 35 meters, and I caught him at the top of the climb turning into the finish straight. I hammered it from there, and outsprinted him at the line for what I was sure was 14th. Somewhere I miscounted or someone told me I was in 12th when I was really in 14th...
Oh well... I rode well. I didn't crash, and except for one moment in the sand when I was getting tired, I had a good race. I haven't been putting in the intensity needed for this type of racing yet, so once I start doing that over the next few weeks, I should start coming into some good 'cross form.
Baltimore, MD
2/3/4 Men
September 21, 2008
The first 'cross race of the season is always interesting- you don't know exactly what your fitness is like, and you don't know what everyone else's fitness is like, either. At least for this race, the course was almost identical to last year's.
The start in a 'cross race is always key, and I've trained hard to get a good starting position. I have the registration dates and times in my head, and the credit card entry down to a fine science. Seriously, though... a close-to-the-front spot is critical, especially on tight courses. I was on the second row. In the mad dash to the first turn, I stayed pretty much in the top 10, which is where I wanted to be.
We entered the course from the prologue loop in a pretty strung out line, and made it through the first off-camber chicane pretty easily. No major pileups, at least not in the front group. I can't speak for everyone else in the back- that could have been carnage, but I wasn't about to look back.
The race started to separate pretty early on- there were about 3 groups of 4, 3, and 3 in front of me, so I was still riding in about 10th. I couldn't manage to get close to the group in front, so I stayed by myself for most of the race.
With 2 laps to go I was caught by a guy from HVB- I stayed in front, and would gap him on all the technical sections and climbs. But on the run-up and the sand, he would get really really close. Near the beginning of the last lap, he ended up passing me. Unfortunately, about 3 more guys passed me as well. I dug deep to get on a wheel, but I really didn't have it. My back hurt more than my legs, but it was a futile effort by then. I stayed in sight of all 4 the whole rest of the lap, but couldn't quite catch up.
In the last few turns, I could see the HVB guy just in front of me, and I knew I was riding the turns better than he was, so I used my speed to get close. Then, on the exit to the pavement, he was within about 35 meters, and I caught him at the top of the climb turning into the finish straight. I hammered it from there, and outsprinted him at the line for what I was sure was 14th. Somewhere I miscounted or someone told me I was in 12th when I was really in 14th...
Oh well... I rode well. I didn't crash, and except for one moment in the sand when I was getting tired, I had a good race. I haven't been putting in the intensity needed for this type of racing yet, so once I start doing that over the next few weeks, I should start coming into some good 'cross form.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Cyclocross Nationals
I registered quickly and efficiently, and have starting spot #17 or so (I'm 2nd, but there will be guys with UCI points who will get staged before me) in the Masters 35-39 race, and 3rd in the B race. Not bad for waking up at 12:50am and having to accurately punch in credit card numbers.
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