Joules Cross

Ah yes...another big blue sky day to race under!! The first day of the Joules Cross CX weekend was Saturday In Lawrence KS, and since my give-a-damn broke last weekend I was itching to race again!! I think the powers that be (the gods of dirt) had it in for me on this morning, I did eventually prevail and make it to the start line.

The wake up call was 6:00am, that gave me enough time to roll through my race day ritual and hit the road at 8:00am to give me enough time to sign up, and get ready to rumble.

8:00am rolls around and away we go...a small sidetrack to degrease a chain, then rollin again. So now totally wound and going nuts because it's race day life is good, or so I thought...As we head west the traffic signs are telling me my route is closed...Hmmm...this isn't good!!! I planned my day with no detours!!! At this point life isn't good!!!

We get back on the highway, I'm looking at the time thinking I'm not racing today...F**K!!!!!!

Oh well...I keep on truckin to the venue. We finally arrive at 9:15. My race is at 10:00...I still have time, WOOOOHOOOOOooooo!!!

I sign up, get changed, and have enough time to do an inspection/warm up lap, stretch, make clothing changes for temperature and roll to the line feeling ready...Sheesh...that felt like work!!!

The Boss Cross events found me rolling to the line after everybody had lined up, which meant DFL on the start line for me. Not today!!! I didn't matter though, there was only 6 racers in the 40+ masters...Oh well I'm thinkin at worst, a 6th place finish...It will sound good if anyone asks how I did...

I was sitting on the start line thinking how weird it was to have 6 racers total in the 40+...oh well...my race nerves got the best of me and I say to the 5 guys next to me...Don't let the MTB'er beat you!!! Not a word from any of them!!! This made me laugh!!!

We roll to the line as the 2nd wave to go. GO, and we're off!! I get a decent start, drag racing down the start/finish straight in lean into the first turn in 3rd. After catching air on a small roller!!! The first part of the course was fast and sweeping, good stuff!! Eventually the course made its way down by a pond, where we had to dive down the dam make a sweeping left and climb back up.

I was wheel to wheel with 1st and 2nd at the turn to bomb down. I down shift from the big to the middle ring, the chain bounced passed the middle to the small...I managed to get it back to the middle at the base of the dam and climb up. At this point a gap had opened that I couldn't close...oh well.

The race rolls on, and unbeknownst to me at the time, I was in third until about a half a lap to go...Going into the last lap, a Boulevard rider comes around me on the start/finish straight, which was fine with me, the wind had picked up and it was a headwind now on that part of the course. I jump on his wheel for the draft.

We lean into turn 1, bomb the fast sweepers, he has an issue and slows a bit, so I gun it past him. We roll that way onto the dam, where a lapped rider is going to be in the way as I turn down the dam. Fortunately he drifts wide to the left and I dive down the right and rail around him on the outside of the left hand sweeper before the climb back up...That made laugh on the inside a bit, it was a good clean pass!!

Moving forward, we are heading into the last section, which is another fast sweeping set of turns that end on the start finish straight. There was a set of 3, 2x6 barriers that had finally be knocked over. The Boulevard rider dismounts and runs them. I just rolled over them. Doing this had me pass him, I told him I wouldn't take an advantage and let him have his spot back.

Another rider has joined us now. At the time I didn't know he was in my class, he passes me and a small gap opens between me and the 2 was battling with...Time to man up, I close the gap and we make our way onto the finish straight.

I'm sitting 3rd wheel, drafting, in the cat bird seat. The pace increases, and about halfway down the straight I jump and start grabbing gears. I get to about the lead man front wheel, he sees me and starts to sprint, I gain a little more, but ran out of track...he got me by about a foot. I would have gotten him if I started a bit earlier and taken 3rd in my class...at least I gave it a go!!

Oh well that's racing, I felt tons better this time, and hope to improve upon this fitness. It's nice to feel "good" while suffering again.

E