My buddies told me it was
obvious that I caught the ‘cross bug. It’s true. What a fun sport. It involves
fitness, skill, strategy, and guts. The races are run on very entertaining and
spectator friendly courses. There is no other endurance sport that would be as
interesting to watch, at least in person. A cycling road race goes by in a
blur. If you aren’t in the lead vehicle, there isn’t anything to watch in a
cycling race. I don’t understand why people even bother going to watch the Tour
in
This was going to be my third
and last race of the year. There was another race the following day, but I decided
to go climbing that day instead. The next weekend I’d be out of town in Sedona
with my family and the finaly weekend of ‘cross would find me jetting my way to
The week leading up to this
race I got out twice to practice, once with teammate Jon McClurg, who showed me
a great loop around the Boulder Reservoir. I’m still a klutz, but at least I
now know how I should be doing things. All I need now is lots and lots of
practice. Jon is technically very smooth on and off the bike switching back and
forth as if dancing. I’m stepping on my own feet.
Jon also told me to strip off
my water bottle cages, since you can’t efficiently shoulder your bike and run
with it. In the two races I had one there was really only one spot where it was
worth it to shoulder the bike. Most of the dismounting areas were short enough
where you just lifted the bike by the top tube and ran with it. Nevertheless,
learning how to get the bike up onto your shoulder fast is a good technique to
know.
Before the race I went by my
mechanic’s house. Eric Coppock is also a teammate, riding Cat. 3 on the road,
but would enter the Cat. 4 race today because the timing worked out best for
his family. I had donated my bike to his cause and he returned the favor by
helping me slime my tires. Dan had recommended getting these special tubes with
removable stems so that you could squeeze slime into the tires. This is
apparently essential on some of the courses in
I headed over to the race and
found the usual culprits. Dan “The Boss” Miller, Justin Green, Mike Record,
etc. I don’t know many of the top riders since I’m new to this game, but Dan
pointed out two guys from the Colorado Springs Velo team and said, “Those guys
are strong.” I’d learn this for myself firsthand. I had two teammates in the
race myself. Dave Hixson, a seasoned and talented cross rider who had been
pushing Dan hard all season and almost always standing on the podium
The course was very
interesting and long. In fact, the course was so long that they told us at the
start that it would be just five laps. This made for a 35-40 minute race for
the winner, but they needed to end it then so that the rest of the racers would
clear the course in time for the next race. We started on the office park road
and went up a significant hill and across the parking lot at the top to a ramp that
directed us onto a singletrack. Most people bunnyhopped this ramp and I did as
well. We then took some tight turns down a short, steep hill, across a wood
bridge, down some more tight turns, then sharply back up hill to two barriers,
then a bit more singletrack to another road/parking lot area (good for
passing). This led to singletrack across a field to stone bridge that required
lifting the back wheel with a hop, or you’d risk a pinch flat. Then down a
grassy hill with turns that felt like a slalom course and out into a praire-dog
field. A sharp turn to the right and then three log barriers and a short hill
we ran up. Back on the bike, we rode flat for a bit to a steep dip and then a chasm
two feet deep and two feet across. Nearly everyone in all races dismounted for
this, but a few bunnyhopped it. I did not. We then twisted and turned
throughout the field with some minor, steep hills and two more barriers before
getting back to the start.
At the gun, Dan went right to
the front and would lead the entire way once again. He is just very strong
right now. The rest of us aren’t all that far back, but can’t make up the gap.
I suspect Dan can go even harder if he was pressed, but no one has pressed him.
I worked hard up the initial hill and hit the singletrack in 6th position.
I passed two at the next paved section and closed up on Dave Hixson and two
others in the prarie-dog area and passed them just before the end of lap one. I
pushed hard up the hill, closing on Dan and firmly in 2nd place. Dave
was right on my wheel and he passed me on the uphill barriers, but I passed him
back on the road section.
At the log barriers, I failed
to get my foot out in time and bashed into the log. I fell head over heels and
thought I heard my tire pop. Three riders went by me as I tried to untangle
myself. I lost a few more seconds trying to find my dignity before giving up
and giving chase. I kept this position for the rest of the second lap, but on
the third lap, at the ditch, I screwed up again, trying to get over the ditch
without dismounting, but without bunnyhopping it either. One more rider went by
me. I was then in 6th place.
I suffered along for another
lap or so, but closing the gap on a group of three riders in front of me. Dan
was solidly in first and there was a guy solidly in second and then this group
of three in front of me. In the group was Dave Hixon and two Colorado Springs
Velo riders. On the paved hill at the start of the last lap, I caught back on
and there was some team tactics. A Velo guy attached and I grabbed his wheel.
Then Dave attacked and a Velo got on this wheel. Finally, I attacked and was
briefly back in 3rd place before dropping to 4th as we
hit the singletrack. A Velo guy in front of me, Dave behind me and the other
Velo rider behind him.
At the uphill barriers Dave
goes by me. I’m wasted from my effort of catching these guys and then the
attacks. I’m cooked. At the next paved section, Dave goes by the Velo guy in
front to get into third place. The other Velo dude goes by me, so I’m back in 6th.
Dave kills it on the final half lap, bunnyhops the ditch and nearly catches 2nd
place for another podium finish. I’m chasing the Velo guys, but they have a 5
second gap and I’m not closing it down. I start to worry about the guy coming
up hard behind me. At the ditch he is right on my wheel. Damn! I’m hurting bad
and can’t see holding this guy off. At the final barriers, I hop off and go
hard. When I get back on he isn’t there. When I get my next look, I have a big
gap on him. I don’t know what happened to him and couldn’t find him after the
race to ask about it. I don’t think he fell. I suspect he put his bike down too
hard and dropped his chain. I suffer in for 6th place, a few seconds
behind 4th and 5th. My friend Mike Record finished around
15th I think.
This race was a blast, as
usual. Skill problems cost me a few places in this race. That’s the cool thing
about cyclocross. Improvements in skills could move me up in my placings.
Usually it is just fitness that does that. Still, in the 35+/4’s, a Cat. 2 road
rider who had never done cyclocross before and had no skills could enter and
win, based on fitness alone. But if you are at Cat. 4 fitness, you have no
chance of winning these races without some good skills. I need to improve both
my skills and my fitness, but that’s it for this year. Only three races, but I’m
hooked. Next year I hope to double the ‘cross races I do.
So, that’s it for the 2006
bike racing season. My next race on the bike will be at the
Bill…out!