Harbin Park UCI - 10/12

Last day of UCI racing, and this one will be bigger. UCI C1, so the course is wide all the way around. This is a power course also... lots of climbing and descending, with a really fast drop and short rise into a right hand turn before the wooded section, a short descent into a 180 switchback that climbs to the top of the park. The course also had a two way sand pit. Uphill between the finish and the barriers, that ended with a left (in the sand). And Downhill just past the second pit passing. Uphill was questionable on riding, downhill was fast and pretty straight forward.
Course Description just scroll down a bit.

Gary did pretty well again, as did Rick. Rick shot off the line, and got the hole shot with about 20m to the group. Very nice. I was hoping he could hold that for the whole race, but he faded and ended in 6th. Still a very nice result.

Same folks in my race. Again I had a fifth row start position. I got off the line well, and felt really good heading into the off-camber section. Then the wheels started to come off as we climbed toward the finish line. I felt like I was going well, but I go passed by a TON of guys.

I again tried to focus on Derick just ahead, target acquired, now bring him back. First time down the hill to the woods, and through the tight switch back. And I'm passed by an older Barbasol rider. It turns out I think I've been chasing this guy all weekend. He's the guy I targeted after my mechanical on Friday, and I was somehow chasing him on Saturday also... As we're climbing the hill on the first lap, I'm just digging in trying not to let a gap open up and the guy slows, and ducks under the tape.

Up until today, I said the worst feeling in the world is clawing your way back to someone, catching and dropping the guy, then having him quit shortly after you go by. I now have to update that. The worst feeling is being in the process of getting dropped when the guy dropping you climbs off.

I guess I should have known I was in trouble then. Next lap through a guy in white jersey is about 300m behind me. I keep him there on the paved climb and figure I can make ground on him through the rest of the lap. As I hit the woods, he comes around me. He made up 300m on me on a descent! Wow!!! The rest of the climb, I decided I will not quit until I am lapped... so DON'T get lapped!

Next lap.... another guy does the same thing! Makes up 200-300m on the descent. What the HECK!

As I go through the 180 switchback I see the two leaders heading into the woods.... I'm dead. I don't think I can hold them off for three more laps cause they are FLYING. Sure enough, they catch me at the same spot one lap later.

Let me update that "worst feeling" again... getting caught by the leaders with two and a half laps left in the race.

The good news is I rode the sand both directions all but the first lap. I had to run the uphill side then because there was so much traffic. Considering how far back I was, that was alright with me.

Two laps sucked. Bill and Derick got pulled with 1 to go, because (the official said) they impeded the finish sprint. The sprint finish was seconds behind them... it was a tough call since they wanted to finish on the lead lap... I wouldn't have been happy with that either.

Looking at my HR data, I guess I was pretty spent. Even with my mechanical on Friday, I averaged about 167. I usually average between 168 and 170 in a cx race. On Saturday, I averaged 162, on Sunday.... 152. It wasn't like I wanted to just take it easy either. I guess I was just beating a dead horse. It was hot all weekend, but I don't think that had as much of an effect as the repeat race days.

We didn't hang around for the Elite races on Sunday. 4 hours of driving, and we were both pretty beat. Dave didn't finish much better than I, though he wasn't lapped. He flatted on his last sand crossing and lost 5 places running it in. No matter, he was pretty far back by that point anyway. I guess three days of racing will do that to you.

Up next the Spin CROSS MY HEART AND HOPE TO DIE WILLOUGHBY CYCLOCROSS SPECTACULAR at Todd Park. Always a fun time.