Blue Sky Velo Cup, CO 'cross racing wk #6

This past Saturday was another race at Xilinx (cheers!), this one put on very professionally by the Blue Sky Velo club crew. Over the years they have often held their race at Xilinx. I recall one ultra muddy race there about 2-3yrs ago, didn't last long as I was a victim that day of a section of the infamous metal edged landscape barriers. Anyways, this year's edition was very dry, and very fast. It was also the 2nd race in the Colorado Cross Cup, and a chance for the local CO/Front Range cylocross scene to reconvene after a memorable mud/dry weekend of racing the USGP up in Ft. Collins.

We were throwing a slumber party for Alina and 6 of her girlfriends later that eve, so Helen hung out (thank you babe!) and I made the 2hr drive solo. I arrived and was happy to see the yellow Mavic neutral support crew. Always a great sight for the solo racer with no one in the pits. Fortunately I did not need their services, though it's always good to know they have tons of extra wheels, and even some neutral bikes (C'dale CAAD 9s painted in Mavic yellow). In the parking lot I started out with 25 front/26 rear in my Specialized Tracer tubulars. Not yet having the pro setup of an electric, handheld air compressor, I have been quite happy with my little Topeak SmartGauge D2. Besides my trusty go/no-go Park CC3 chain checker, this digi tire gauge has been one of my best purchases this summer.

Back to the course, a couple laps of re-con had me in love. A perfect, wide, uphill start straight that funneled out down to some singletrack that veered south down onto the fields. And out there we were treated to some really fun, flowy singletrack. Many of the corners were gradual or even bermed, so it was pretty easy to hold your speed through the turns. Only a couple turns that were a bit awkward to me. We then made a short little power climb that brought us up to some "baby barriers," maybe 6" tall, and easily hoppable every lap, even for this old guy. Then a couple 180s by the pits, a bit of pavement, some swoopy, bumpy DH grassy turns, and we were then down by the bridge and up a set of maybe 3-4 small steps. I rode them a few times in practice. They were pretty sharp edged, and I was banging my rim pretty good trying to ride over them without slowing down too much. But that was just the problem, it was simply too slow to ride them...and had I carried more speed into them i prob would have flatted and/or roached my wheels. After a quick remount, it was down the grass, and back onto the pavement near the start grid, where we slogged up the road and through the end of the lap.

After final prep, I get back to the start for staging. Our 35+ Open field was riding in circles around one of the Xilinx parking lots. It was pretty comical looking, but anything to keep the legs turning before we were at a standstill at the line. Having finished 5th at the 1st CO Cross Cup race in Frisco a couple weeks earlier, I was psyched to get my call-up and I was locked and loaded on the front row! I had my bike in the common start gear, 23x46, ensured my left pedal was perfectly parallel to the ground, and took a few deep breaths. The whistle sounds and I again find my pedal very quickly, and am soon up in the front along with Ariel.

I probably should have checked my enthusiasm and saved a match or so, but I couldn't help myself and came through the finish line with the holeshot! It was pretty cool to hear LG calling my name. I hit the singletrack first and tried not to completely explode. I ride the first couple of 180s pretty cleanly, then sure enough, big boy Robson comes right through. Having fully expected this scenario, I slot in behind him and see how long I can hold on to his pace. Come to find out it wasn't too long! i dangle off about 50yds, and soon some fast guys come through, including Tyler Carrington, someone I have not seen before in our fields. And then Jesse Swift came through on his Gates belt-driven SS. Man was he motoring on that bike! My classic 3rd lap fade started, but I didn't let it stay too long. Frank Overton and McFarling came by me on the 3rd lap going up the climb. I latched on to their train and was able to stay with this group til the end. On our last lap, I was hanging with these two and I was pretty comfy, all the while trying to see where I was going to try and pass both of these guys. There were two straightaways out in the field that I was thinking about, but they were both pretty soft on the outside if trying to pass. Just as I was ready to try and pick off at least Ryan who was directly in front, Overton washed out on a corner and was down. On the next straight I passed McFarling and somehow held my advantage up the climb. I then passed Jesse who was limping to the finish on a flat. I came across the line in 3rd place, my first 35 Open podium in a CO Cross Cup race. Needless to say I was jazzed, and it made for a nice drive back up to the mtns.

I think now I have fig'd out the race starts pretty well, assuming I'm in the 1st or 2nd row. Just need to continue riding smart, and know where to try and burn my matches. It is amazing how spent you can be after just about 45min of racing. Now that mother nature has put an inch or two of snow on many of my local trails, it will be easier to ride intervals on the dirt and pavement, with less "distracting" singletrack available for my perusal. Gonna hang with the crew for part of the annual fall man trip this Thur/Fri out in Glenwood and GJ/Fruita. The thought of railing the Boy Scout Trail has me salivating already. And hopefully the Ribbon or some other killer ride Friday morning. Planning on checking out the thick, power-sapping grass of the classic Interlocken course this coming Saturday!