The season is in full swing here in Colorado. With the temps still in mid 80's, it can be hard to get into cross mode. Who wants to wear the LS skinsuit and warm embro when you can still race around in a black velvet speedo right?
The first weekend of races I skipped. The courses that were used just don't have a lot of "WOW" factor for me. Plus each day it was in the high 80's...me and the heat index don't get along so well, if you know what I mean. El Conejo took another approach to this and finished 2nd in the SM3's at the Queens of Cross. Skillet and Buzzsaw finished 18 and 19th in the 45 Open. Coco raced at the Kiddie Prison and finished 5th in SM3's.
So my season started off down in Buena Vista at the Cross at the River. This is a great race that gets a raw deal from the bubble crowd. Granted, even from my house it is about a 2 hour drive but that is a very scenic 2 hour drive through the mountains. With the aspen's turning it is a great way to spend a Sunday. But the bubble crowd cant be bothered. So it is a 3 hour drive from them to race 45 minutes or so....what else are you going to do?
The course that Doug has laid out has a bit of everything. Good run up, some high desert singletrack, some sand, stairs, cobbles and free beer at the end of the race. Brian, Dash, Buzzsaw and myself toe the line for the 35/4's race with all 21 starters. Where are the big crowds? Where is the shout that cross is king? Where are the bubble boys at? Nobody knows and I don't care at this point. Off we go and 45 minutes later we are all a bit knackered. Racing cross at 8000 feet is a bit rough. So after a bit of lunch and Flapjacks joining up with us for the afternoon races, we once again toed the line in the SM4's and 45/4's....again with a total field of 25. Let's just say, more beer for us and we took home some hardware, Brian was 3rd in the 45/4s and we had lots of laughs. Who needs the bubble anyway.
A great week of training and it is up to the bubble to race at Xillinx. This has always brought big crowds because it is a great course. It can be ran a variety of ways and Saturday's course did not disappoint. An uphill sprint to some quick dusty singletrack, a log hop and then through the dusty fields and out into the south dusty 40 acres we went. Did I mention dusty singletrack? There is nothing worse than dusty singletrack with you and 135 of your closest racing friends for the 35/4's race. Racing in CO is like racing at Nationals each and every week. Do they have dusty singletrack in Madison?
With no call up, that is what happens with 135 guys most weeks, I started back in the mid 80's. At the end of the day, I finished in the mid 80's. How is that for consistent racing. Brian, on the other hand was a set to light the rockets. He had a call up, first row and was ready to race. He was sitting about 5th wheel for the first 2 laps with a lot of people riding his wheel. When your 6foot4 this happens a lot. The guy behind him decided he wanted a different view. Brian had the line and the guy went with the adage "rubbin is racin" and proceeded to more over on him. Brian put out the elbow going into the corner and the guy proceeded to move said elbow right out of the way. Brian made the corner without issue...his tires on the other hand decided to not make the corner and both rolled off his new wheels. Day over. I heard there might have also been the first annual Primus Mootry bike toss just after this happened...but I did not see it through all the dust.
This last weekend was the first CO Cyclocross Cup race. This is where people from the bubble must travel around CO. We have picked 10 races that will shape the overall champion for the series with these. Too bad 8 of the 10 are in the bubble though. Is the air in the bubble better than other places?
I was going to wax poeticly about the race but Dale over at Crossin Colorado has beaten me to it. He actually thinks that I am famous. Funny guy he is!!!
It was great to see all of my fellow cross brothers out this weekend. Dale at Crossin CO, Jim and Chris from SRAM, Mud and Cowbells was racing right after us, my buddy Doug Squires who is racing 55+ this year and Boups mixing it up in the 35 Open instead of the Mens Open race and of course the hard men of cycling, Routine Leg Works and their singlespeed domination.
Cant wait for the races next weekend.......
No comments:
Post a Comment