Yep... still midpack A cyclocrosser...

Cyclocross season started on Saturday at Manatoc. YAY!

On a very mountain bikie course, because there was single track... quite a bit of single track, but quite a bit of grass also. I expected some mud, since it basically rained at my house 40 minutes away for the better part of the night, and all morning.

Instead it was dry. Really dry. OK. With the many root crossings, I opted for clincher tires, and set the pressure at what I hoped was a good balance of pinch flat protection and gription.

Short story... I got a pretty crappy start, being almost, but not quite at the back by the time we got to the single track. Then sat behind the train as the race went away... I picked up spots in the grass, until the second single track entry. After two laps, the race was set. Steiner and I were with a couple of strong roadies... I didn't have the power on the grass to get by them when there was space to pass... and then had to sit on as they picked their way through the technical stuff.

I eventually got by one, who proceeded to close a 50m gap to Dave and the other guy in no time flat while my jaw was hitting my top tube. I could not do that, even though I was really trying. Blah!

I fought by him again in the single track and eventually built enough to leave him behind.

With three to go, Jeff Craft had a mechanical issue and pretty much blocked the whole trail. Dave and the other guy got by before Jeff started to run the uphill. The small gap that I thought I was controlling got larger. Jeff let me by, and then we started to fight it out/work together... ish... to bring them back.

Nothing doing, I tried to get by Jeff at the finish.... and didn't.

So, 13th place on the opening race... out of 26 starters. So, there it is... I am a mid pack cyclocrosser. Well, in the Cleveland As. I probably should have been more aggressive in the single track to get by the other guys in my group, and make them work to bring me back... instead of going hard on the grass and using the single track to recover. Oh well, lesson learned... I hope.

I'm hoping to get better as the season progresses. I certainly do have some areas that I can work on.... Let the fun season begin.