BA Cyclocross 3 - 2004

The 2004 Bike Authority Cyclocross Series

November 7th, 2004

This week, we're at The Fields in Broadview Hts. After yesterday's race at Orrville, I washed the bike down, and tweaked everything to be ready for today. I'd hoped to get a nap, but things didn't work out... that and a night in a smoke filled bar (no drinks... just second hand smoke... bleach!) made my Saturday recovery complete... at least I ate well.

The Course

The Fields has a little of everything. It's basically a three level sports park. Soccer fields and some wide trails on the start finish level. A lower soccer field, with a bridge crossing a creek (that we didn't use this time) and then the upper level of baseball fields.

The race started with a road climb from the lower soccer field to the baseball fields level. Some pavement and wet grass traverses as we loop around the fields, and head to the first descent. A bombing sled hill, down to the lower soccer field. This is a really steep grade that the line really counts on. If you straighten it out just right, you can really gain some time. Around the back side of the soccer field, the first corner is very slick, put your foot down to keep it together. Across the back side to the first barrier, stairs...and then the gravel climb. If I shifted to the 27, I could pretty easily get it going again, and just ride up along the side of the last stair section. The other option was to run the 40 meters and hop on at the top.

We then lop around to the finish line and immediately hit a barrier pair and we head into the woods. This is a swoopy section of single track with some log crossings. The first was the worst, though it was ridable... as long as there was no traffic hopping off in front of you. The second was ramped and I think everyone rode it. There's some tight turns and a nasty, slick little climb where it's hard to keep the rear wheel connected. More twists and turns, some of them extreme, and we're back into the field loops. Around the fields, with some course folding sections... three directions in some. And we head back through the finish in the opposite direction. Down across what looks like planting terraces, through a gnarly down hill drop, and along the side of the road we started on. We then turn along the lower soccer field, and get led to a run up the sledding hill we'd descended earlier. This was a steep run up, and I was glad I put the toes spikes in for it. At the top we twisted around, and looped across the road to where the course had started after the road climb start.

The Pre-Race

I arrived early enough to get in three warmup laps. I was confident with the course... mainly concerned about the sled hill descent, and the gravel climb right after that. The single track should be OK for me, and having the run up and barriers... it was an all good course for me. The mountain bikes would make up ground on the single track and the sled hill descent. The crossers had the advantage of technical mud, soggy grass, the run up, and the dismounts. I figured I was good as an all rounder.

Someone must have let out that I try to come prepared. Yesterday, at Orrville, I connected Pat Miranda up with spare tube, and today, Rick snagged my SRAM master link... now I have to go to the bike shop again to restock my supplies.

A big field again. 33 starters. Brett Davis has a new 'cross bike. Chris Huck from Orrville is also doing th double day thing. The series leader, Brian Ramsey from Summit is in attendance. Plus more of the regulars. Top three on points are Brian Ramsey, me and David Major. My goal is to keep Brian in sight, and see what I can do at the finish. I need 4 points to catch him, so if I can get anything...

The Race

We line up on the road and we'll do one road climb and then enter the course on a wet grass section. Onto a sidewalk and then into the field loops on the top section. The hole shot here is to get to the grass first, I guess. There's nothing really technical until the sled hill descent, and I guess I should have though about that at the start. I did take some points liberty, and lined up next to Brian. Then nudged both of us up to the front of the line.

So I still wanted to be the first onto the course... 3, 2, 1 and away we go... and I am the first onto the grass. I push it to the sidewalk, and then let others through to pull. I let a group of about 6 get in front of me, as I recover from the initial effort. Brian is on the front pushing the pace, Brett is at the back of the 6, there are a few Spin riders up front and some other guys I don't know. I've got Brad from Spin and some guys on my wheel in the chase group.

The first time through Jay Cech is there ringing a cowbell and cheering like crazy. Bell on the first lap??? The course isn't that long. We're into the woods, and fortunately I'm at the front of my group heading into the bad log crossing. I'm over as others are off the bike. Up the climb, and the field is really strung out. Brian as at the front with some of the other guys and I'm chasing. Mostly just trying to not blow myself to bits, but keep it moving hard.

This race was insane! I was passing people... they'd repass me... I could not keep track of where I was at all. I figure out the actual finish line was shortly after the gravel hill, and right before the second barriers. Throughout the first 4 laps, I keep Brett Davis in sight. At one point Brad Beeson from Spin comes around me... and then fades. I traded places with a Spin rider on a Redline with Tufo Elite's about 4 times. He'd get a big gap, I'd catch him, then gap him.... it was yo-yo all over the place. I was gaining big time on the run up... most people were not running. It was steep at the top, but a little jog/run could gain some placings.

Passing in the woods is nuts. I was following John Reade through on one lap, and I couldn't pass him, until he dismounted for the log, and I went to the left.... and around. His comment (in disgust) was "This is NOT cross!", he broke a spoke later, and DNF'd. I figure we all race what's given us. I was beginning to regret my desire for more technical courses.

Somewhere in here I catch my right shoe on my crankarm on the barrier/stair section... it shredded some of the stitching on the compression buckle, so I'm riding with a loose right shoe. I was waiting for this to happen, and have a spare pair... but didn't want to stop and change during a race! I could also feel that one of the toe spikes had come out... fortunately, I still had reasonable footing. Minor equipment issues compared to some... like John Reade or Rick who threw his chain three times.

The race really started for me during the third lap, when I saw Brian coming back to Brett Davis in the single track. He had some problems with a particularly nasty set of turns and I figured I had a chance to keep him within some points... and maybe gain some back on the points race. I was hoping that Brett wouldn't work with him to much, but I wasn't sure what was happening up there. I did see Brian put in some efforts, and Brett was leading in some sections. I just kept the gap close, and worked on my own again.

Some where close to the fourth lap, I recaught the Redline on the run up. He suggested that we work together to bring back Brett and Brian. I was certainly game... I told him I needed Brian for the point race, and we were off. By trading pulls, we had caught them by the sled hill descent. I told Brett not to pull Brian, came by him and got on Brian's wheel at the lower soccer field. That was the last I saw of Brett and the Spin rider... now it was race between Brian and me.

Through the barrier/stairs section, I remounted on the gravel while Brian ran it. I was around him and over the top with a reasonable gap... so I attacked hard! Through the barriers, and into the woods. I've got a little ways to go, now just keep it clean, and keep up the pressure. Brian managed to pull me back some on the field loops. But not enough to regain contact. I lead him through the start finish, and up the run up. Somehow he caught me through the mud grass, and tried an attack on the sidewalk. I was able to hold his wheel, and stayed on until the mud section... where he bobbled a bit. I came around and again put a gap as we hit the descent and barrier/stair section.

OK, I've got the psychological advantage, because I caught him and dropped him... but he's not giving up. As I come through the line to start the sixth lap, I see 42 minutes on the board. We were told if, the leaders came through close to 40 minutes, they'd start ringing the bell... well evidently, this wasn't close enough. I've still got a nice gap on Brian, and I'm asking what's going on as I come through... with no answer.

Through the woods, just keep him back there. I'm having trouble keeping it clean on the single track... once I hit the fields I'm opening it up... but I can hear he's not far behind. As I come through the finish in the opposite direction, I asked about the laps, and they said 1 more... so I go hard again. One more to where, and I still haven't heard a bell!

As I hit the run up, I've got a gap, push it on the side walk, and through the mud. I'm hoping to open more of a gap, but Brian is on my wheel. Go hard again. As I make one turn I see a Chaos jersey up ahead... it sure would be nice to have a teammate, some help working this guy over! It must be Larry getting ready for the A race, so I can work to catch him. Brian is still on my wheel. Down the descent, through the barrier/stairs... OK, we're almost there... through the start finish and they're ringing the bell... one more lap to there! Ouch... this is a long race.

Brian is on my wheel... as I head into the woods. Over the log clean and I make a right hander... and bobble! I remount quickly but my chain is wacked some how... off the bike and spin the peddle, but Brian is around me. Back on and chase! A single track chase... and I am dead! This race was about a lap too long. I had put everything into the lap before.

Grab a gu, and see if I can get more out of my legs... but the gap opens more. As we head to the runup, I look ahead, and Brian is WAY in front, almost to the top of the run up already... We're lapping people, and I catch Rick. He says I'm fourth... but I don't care... I need to catch Brian. I can see him up ahead, passing two other riders. I fly by them as we hit the sled descent, but he's got to much on me. I make it around the soccer field as he's up the gravel road.... nothing left, I run the gravel section and come in 30 seconds down on Brian... again. No one between us, so again I limit it to 2 points he's gained on me.

Post

As I passed Rick, he said I was in fourth... like I said, I didn't really care, I just wanted to be in front of Brian, and I wasn't. At the finish, they were questioning between 4th and 5th, depending on Robert Rogers... last week he finished pretty far down. Evidently, he did much better this week, and Rick didn't see him go by... whatever, 5th place it is in the books.

Results

Larry finished 15th in the A's... with about the same time as my B race. Actually, he would have finished right behind me with the same ride in the B race.

There were some big guns in the A race. Jonathan Card is a big shot Cane Creek rider from the MAC series... I don't know what he was doing in Cleveland, but it put's Paul Martin in perspective. Card came in high places in the national races, and finished 3rd in 02 35-39 nats. Paul finished second 20 seconds back. I'd have liked to be able to stay and spectate that race.

OK, so lots of lessons from today.

1. Does the hole shot really matter? If there isn't something super technical near the start, it may not. I need to be near the front, but not necessarily at the front, depending on the course. Last week I think it did matter, this week it was wasted energy.
2. I probably could have done much better if I'd skipped the Orrville race. Looking at my HR data, the average was significantly lower than in the previous cross race. Though my perceived exertion was about the same... and I really felt like I blew up on the last lap. I didn't press the lap button at all, so it's hard to tell where things happened.
3. Brian may have had more psycho advantage than I did. He didn't need to beat me, he only needed to keep me in sight, and not let anyone between us. He could remain calm while I was burying myself. Then the last lap he had the luxury of passing me if he could but could afford 2 points easily. As it was he's now 6 in front of me.
4. It's better to be technically clean... I think that bobble may have cost me the head game which totally took me out of the place and gave Brian the complete advantage.
5. None of it may matter, Ross Clark has handily won the last two races, and is now 5 points behind me in third. He's only there because he missed the first race. If he shows... it looks like I'll be third. I finished 5 minutes down on him today.
6. Then there's the eating, drinking game... no answers on that. Maybe I should have carried a bottle for a couple of laps... and dropped it before the real race started.
7. The last is the hardest to pin down... and I've noticed it before. I could push when the Redline rider came up on me. There's been times when I let a group go on a climb, then when someone comes up on me, I can answer and follow. Is my head getting in the ay of my legs? Do I have more left that I'm not using? Maybe I can bridge to that group up there... I just need to figure out what I'm doing here.

OK, so I wanted a technical course and I got it... next week, we're back at the Fields... so I'll probably get another technical course. Now I only need crappy weather... maybe that help me.