Diamond BlackFan CX Challenge

Hot Hot Hot!! This was the first race of the season in the Kansas City area and kicks of the De Stad Cyclocross van Kansas series.

The early racers dealt with a dew laden course, slick corners, and lots of encounters with the ground. This was apparent by all the grass and dirt stains on the kits as well as a few bloodied knees and elbows. As the day wore on and the course burned in, the temps climbed into the upper 80's, but felt like 100. The course wound its way through the Sar Ko Par park in Lenexa, KS and kept riders on their toes as they accelerated out of and braked into the numerous turns. Bike handling and riding smooth through the corners was key on this course. There were two sets of double barriers and a lengthy sandpit run forcing riders to dismount.

Being a glutton for punishment I've been planning on doubling up on the races during the beginning of the season. My first race of the day was the Masters and of course and I started from the back row. Not a great start as many peeps were faltering in their pedals but made a quick punch up the pavement and moved up 10 spots or so. Two laps pass by and I've moved up through the field. The next few guys were the usual Masters ringers... Hejduk, Songer, Winker, Dunsmuir, and Tige. I get up to the group and let Scott know I'm on and recover for a minute. Winkler has already rolled off the front and not gonna chase him. Songer went down in a corner, so it was time to go. I got on the front and Scott and I traded off until we popped the other two. We rolled in togther to take 2nd and 3rd. 40 minute race.

20 minutes later... 1/2/3's lining up. I lined up on the back row with Shadd and go! Much faster than the Masters and I was just trying to get up in good position and settle in. Not even halfway into the first lap Tom and Camerom got tangled up and went down right in front of me in a corner. I swung out and missed the pile up and started working my up. I'd really gotten the lines down in the first race so was able to capitalize on that and not work so hard out of all the corners. The pace was hot in that first lap and I hung in with the main group as we made our way around the course, making up a spot or two. The day had really heated up and was starting to take a toll. I was so thirsty and needed a drink bigtime. People were starting to fade back so had moved up into the top10. About 45 minutes in and my stomach was growling, crap that is not a good sign... the tank is going empty. 50 minutes and 3 laps to go and I started cracking. Then the passing started. Each time through the sand was tough and felt like 1000 degrees. Ended up in 17th place after 1 hour 12 minutes. Nearly two hours of racing and I can't wait for cooler weather.

Hermann Cross Under the Lights

What an amazing race to open the season with! The race was in Hermann, MO which is a small town in wine country littered with wineries and B&B's. Certainly had all the elements of a good 'cross course and a stacked field of racers. At the start there was a technical twisty section into an off-camber double barriers that were at least 20 inches high. Then down the spiral road section into the darkness. A couple fast grassy stretches with U-turns, a sand pit, then the long slog through the mud (150+ meters). The last and most prominent feature on the course was the steep stairs about 6o of them. Count 'em 60*13 laps = 780 stairs... this was a make or break for most and a lot of people were broken down.

So the race begins with a lot of callups and palmares for many of the racers. State and National Champions abound from many of cycling's disciplines and guys with UCI points as we round out the nearly 50 racer field. I of course did not send in my 2006 State CX championship so NO call-up for me. Three full rows of call-ups, then the rest... I anticipated this so got tucked right up in behind the third row. Tweet and the chaos starts through the twisty turny top section. People are jammed in like sardines, some off their bikes, some on as wheels overlap, people go down as the mass makes its way forward. Quite a mess actually but it moves along to the barrier section and then we get rolling. The first lap wasn't too bad as I kept on the gas to make up some ground from the start position. I wasn't chancing the sand pit on riding as it was very deep and I watched people endo over on pre-rides. So run the sand and hit the mud section. The lower part of the course was completely under water the week before due to flooding, so the ground being saturated had turned into a tractor-pull like mud pit after the early race. Make it through the mud and out onto the road section leading into the stairs. Up the stairs in major traffic, but gun it through the start finish to start getting separation from the rest of the field. The essentially went on lap after lap and the mud became the hardest part of the each one. Other racers from local teams gradually faded back and I kept making my way up through the field. Honestly I never knew where I was in the field due to the darkness and oxygen debt. About midway through the race a fan at the top of the stairs waived a dollar in my face and somehow I just snatched it out of his hand... the crowd went wild!! 8 laps to go OMG. Not really knowing where I was but I just knew that had passed a bunch of the 360 guys... finally on the bell lap Songer and I had swapped positions a few times and going into the final stairs, I leaped up the stairs as hard as I could and got separation into the finish. We had been lapped by the leader and the 2nd place guy at the very end. Ended up in 16th. Going into this race I had zero expectations, but was happily surprised given the field and conditions... especially no lights and a mud clod in my left eye.

Scott Hupping it thru the mud

Veldrijden is Here!!

Not that it has ever left the forefront of my thoughts, but the race season is right around the corner now. Sure other parts of the country have already held a race or two, but the first one in our neck of the woods is a night race in wine country this Saturday.

Its been awhile since I've posted and there are a million things to talk about cross-wise. I'll have to organize the mess upstairs before I start babbling randomly. MTB Done, Road Done, Cross (sly smile) Just getting Started. Preparations have been underway for months, but its Go-Time this Saturday. Still got a few items to check off the list, but generally ready. The Hermann Invitational Night race should be a blast, except for the 60+ stair climb every lap. That's gonna kick me right in the jimmy, especially with the cast of characters on the start list. No call up for me, I should have thrown in my 2006 Missouri State CX Champ credentials and I'd have gotten up to the 2nd row. Oh well Huppity Hup!