Illinois State CX Championships

Every year Montrose is a great race, a lot of local racers target the State Championships so everyone is on form.  Combined with a tough course including some killer sand sections and *usually some ice, snow, and freezing temps its always a great event and challenging race. This year was certainly warmer, but the sand seemed a little less forgiving.  

Scott McLaughlin leading Brian Conant, Paul Mumford, David Reyes, David Lombardo and I through the sand Photo: Brandon Elliott

I wasn't doing myself any favors out there, a slipped pedal at the start, a couple bobbles in the sand and I found myself chasing the leaders all too often.  I kept reminding myself the sand was going to catch everyone at some point, and Im usually strong in the last laps of a race, so I kept pushing to get back to the front.   David Lombardo, Brian Conant, and Paul Mumford were all putting in some good attacks, but every now and then the pace would settle just a bit and Id push through the power sections to bridge back up.  With two to go it was down to Brian Conant, David Lombardo and I.  I kept the lines through the sand clean and focused on riding a smart final lap.  I took the lead after the finish with one to go so I could set the pace and keep a clean line.  Brian and David were both right on my wheel and Brian nearly came around before we went  under the bridge into the final straight.  My legs were absolutely cooked, but the end was in sight so it was one more brutal push to the finish. In the end it came to a sprint finish with David coming around from 3rd wheel...

David Lombardo and I through the finish.  Photo Amy Dykema

I held on to the win by about the width of a tire.  Having focused on this race I was really excited to get the top step.  David Lombardo rode a smart race and nearly took the win, but I am absolutely certain he will be on that top step in the not too distant future.  At the end of the month he will be heading to Europe to race at the EuroCross Camp and the Chicago CX community couldnt be more excited for him.  Hes a great guy, an incredibly talented rider, and couldn't have been more gracious after the race yesterday.  The season isn't over yet, we have a few more local races and then Nationals and Masters Worlds to look forward to, but this was a great cap to the Chicago Cross Cup. Thanks to all the volunteers and race organizers for another great season.  

1/2 Podium with Brian Conant and David Lombardo Photo: Alison Ramelb

A win.  That's a win with a "." rather than a "!".  Been a long time since I've won a bike race, 15 or so years.

Despite a very gloomy morning the sun came out and made a perfect a 'cross day-cold and muddy.  Each week the club parcours in Utrecht becomes a little more technical; a new off camber tightrope and a few quick drops mixed to the normal menu today.  A smaller turnout than normal meant a four man group forming at the start and waiting.  Finally an attack at half way-one forward, two in the middle and one out the back.  I came across with one to go, heel clipping a barrier in front of the small crowd.  That gets a shout.

At the muddy run up starting the laatste ronde a choice--go now as my rival stumbles or hold for a big push at a half lap?  I went.  Then 3/4 of a lap with those remembered thoughts of when you haven't been off the front in years.  Just focus, push smoothly forward and don't look back.  Maybe glance when the course allows.  No arms up at the finish, Saturday club race requires a subtle finish.  Or maybe some karma balancing from a beyond last place in Belgium two weeks ago? 

So why just a "."?  A win is a win, right?  I'll take this one for what it is-a hard 50 minutes at the club series.  Six races in the book and a slim lead in the overall klassement, we'll keep it a win with a "." for now.  

Back at it

It was nice to be back racing again after several weeks off. Year four at Indian Lakes Resort was the best yet in terms of course, conditions and fun. Saturday, there was a strong thunderstorm about an hour before the men's 1/2/3 race that left the course wet and slippery.

Scott and David at the first barrier
All  photos: Paul Davies

By the time our race began, it was bright, warm and sunny but the course was still soggy - the perfect combination.

Mike making it look easy

The wet grass and mud meant it was hard to put the power down, which was good for me since I didn't have any anyway!

Mike and Mumford on the hill - just a bit too slippery on Saturday to ride all the way to the top

I made the most of all the twists and turns and managed to secure 4th place.  Meanwhile, my teammate Mike Hemme was riding very smoothly and putting in devastating accelerations on each short straightaway. I'm sure he was working very hard, but he made it look easy as he rolled in for his 4th win of the season.

SRAM engineer David Reyes (Bloomington Cycle Racing Team), meanwhile, made up a lot of ground in the 2nd half of the race, passing me in one of the strong headwind sections like I was standing still (I was, more or less). He kept it going and finished an impressive 2nd.

On Sunday the sun and especially the wind dried out the course so it was just slightly soft and tacky for the elite race. My legs were useless but I had fun trying to carry as much speed as possible through the numerous off-camber turns. Up front, Mike Hemme and David Reyes were in a huge battle with Brian Conant and Kevin Klug of the Pony Shop and Kevin McConnell of Mercy-Specialized, visiting from Iowa. Mike, unfortunately, had a loose cleat which made it nearly impossible to clip in, or once clipped in, to clip back out again and lost contact with the lead group. I was too far back after a few laps to say how the race went for the leaders, but in the end it was Brian, then David, then Kevin. Nice job, guys!

Chicago's pro-level UCI races will be back at Indian Lakes Resort in a couple of months. I'm hoping to find some form between now and then and I suspect Mike and David will both be tearing it up. I am sure it will be as much fun as last year.

Some random photos and notes from the Koppenberg 'cross.  The course goes around the town of Melden then halfway up the
Koppenberg (the treeline in the center of the photo) then back down to the edge of town before going back up again before the switchbacks to the bottom again.  It's brutal.

Telenet mechanics cleaning bikes after a pre ride.  Early in the day the mud was
sticky, one lap and wheels would not turn.  The mechanic on the left is putting
a wheel into a rack on the back of the truck for washing-this speeds up the
wash process when 5 riders come back off the course at one time.  There's
no shortage of wash time (and post race overhauls) at a race like this.

Buildup after one lap.  There's always
a discussion of better to change at the
top or the bottom of the course-most
riders have the option of both although
most prefer a clean, and lighter, bike
for the climb.  On really muddy days
you'll see riders run from the lower pit to
the road.

Amy D with the visor up.

It's muddy for racers and spectators alike!  Just walking around
the course can be a challenge.

Tom Mussen in front on the first decent.  A late
race crash took him out of the race with one lap
to go.

Helen Wyman is a new convert to SRAM-she's a big fan of the
reach adjust on the shifters.  She took a second win at her
"home" race, during the season she lives just down the road
in Oudenaarde.

 

Bart Wellens running on the first lap.
This move got him a better line to the next
corner and two positions.

Sunrise Park

Double Up

Photo David Bowers

Some weeks life catches up and its just a bit tougher to motivate for the double race weekend. After a long week of travel I was on the fence about heading North on Saturday, but my fine friends at My Wife Inc were hosting another race North of the border, at Noyes Park in Milwaukee. They consistently put on great events and always have a fun course so I convinced Mumford to make the drive North with me. It was another great track based around a golf course with solid flowing turns and they made the most of the terrain. Definitely another highly recommended race to visit next year for the Chicago folks.  Ill spare you the details of my lackluster race, but Mumford managed to stay up with the chase group and just missed the podium in 4th.

Conant with the Holeshot - Photo Brion Goudreau

Sunday was the 6th stop in the Chicago Cross Cup at Sunrise Park.  Its a long course at 2.4 miles and given some of the longer open sections where you can put down some power I was looking forward to the race.  Hoping my legs would recover and find a little snap after Saturday, I just tried to hang on the lead group with Conant, Klug, and Reyes early in the race.  With two to go I put in an attack to see if I could get a little gap and though we opened it up just a bit on Klug and Conant, David Reyes was glued firmly to my wheel.  He came around on the last lap and I just tried to maintain contact and wait for an opportunity to squeeze in a pass.  On heckle hill I found a bit of a gap in the turns and moved just inside David, after that it was just an all out effort to hang on as he was right on my wheel, but I managed to hang on for the win.  After a few seasons with some podiums and no wins I was definitely excited to grab my second win this year.

Photo Roderick

This weekend is another double.  Halloween Cross up in Wisconsin is always a blast and has a great crowd. Theres a coffin (which has involved flames in years past) to bunny hop (or run if you're so inclined...but really get out there and practice your hops, even roadies need to hop the occasional curb) and then Sunday one of my favorite courses in the CCC out in Campton.  

Video of the Sunrise Park Cat 123 Race Courtesy of Walid

The midweek Nacht van Woerden is a small but well attended early season race in the Netherlands-like many of the summer "kermis" races there's a town fair with rides and games along with a race to bring people into the city during the week.  It's a great atmosphere and night racing always adds an extra bit as racers move from dark to light around the course.  Although the crowd seemed smaller this year still a good night out and the recent warm spell was good for spectating.  Added bonus is the race sponsor produces potato processing equipment so no shortage of proper spectating food!

First double race weekend in the Netherlands

It's much steeper than it looks!

The first double race weekend in the Netherlands wraps up with tired legs and two decent rides although no real results.  Saturday was the opener for club racing-each club has a training race at their home track Saturday mornings here.  "Training race" is a gentle way of saying we all start at once and still go full speed.  I joined the race in Utrecht-the course uses the terrain and includes a proper stair runup and plenty of off camber to keep things interesting.  Damp, warm and very windy meant there were even tactics to play--I ended up at a standstill several times trying to move someone else to the front heading into the wind when the course was exposed.  Good fun with nothing on the line.

You don't want to hug
the tree like this guy.

Sunday morning round 2 of the Middle Netherlands series brought all these clubs racers together at Hilversum.  By a rough count 70 riders turned up to race on course about 2/3 the size of a football field.  A few 3 meter high lumps keeps it interesting and with a morning rain slippery corners a plenty.  And did I mention plenty of corners?  With a course this size they use every spec of land-180 turn and then straight just enough to bring back the guy in front of you 100 times.  It took a good two laps for the long line to break up-you could see the 30 guys ahead of you in two or three lanes racing back and forth.  Passing is tough and after all those accelerations not much left in the tank, a good day is not hitting the deck while the sliding around.  Going in circles is a long morning.

Happy to put the feet up and watch the World Cup on Sporza this afternoon!