Boss Cross #3 was yesterday and for the first time this year I doubled up (Masters and Open). Scheduling has been the main reason this hadn't yet happened, but with a single day of racing instead of two this past weekend and a little extra time I jumped in the pain cave...
Sunday I headed to KC for a new venue; Raytown BMX track. The layout was fun with a semi-technical section (pretty short) on an actual BMX track (high bern corner, rhythm section...) then the rest was full on open flat pedaling in some non-technical grass fields. Temps were pretty nice for 'cross, but the wind was a gust'in and that would suck in the open sections.
Got to the site early, got in some good warm up laps, then off to the start line. Gun goes off, David H drifts my way a tad, Jeff Yielding and I almost lock bars, and by first turn I re-gathered myself and set on David through the BMX part, then BOOM! Once we got to the open area he flat took off. Shea Bergman and myself kept it steady with Jeff on our tail and we were not closing anything on David. Jeff jumped around and I went with him (with Shea on my wheel) until I fell off Jeff's pace. From there Shea and I worked some together until he dropped me. I worked for a good 1/2 lap to trying to close it to him, but it wasn't happening. 5th place was wayyyy behind us and knowing I was riding the Open in a couple hours I backed off the pace to save what was left the legs. Ended up 4th (DH won, JY 2nd, Shea 3rd).
Sunday I headed to KC for a new venue; Raytown BMX track. The layout was fun with a semi-technical section (pretty short) on an actual BMX track (high bern corner, rhythm section...) then the rest was full on open flat pedaling in some non-technical grass fields. Temps were pretty nice for 'cross, but the wind was a gust'in and that would suck in the open sections.
Got to the site early, got in some good warm up laps, then off to the start line. Gun goes off, David H drifts my way a tad, Jeff Yielding and I almost lock bars, and by first turn I re-gathered myself and set on David through the BMX part, then BOOM! Once we got to the open area he flat took off. Shea Bergman and myself kept it steady with Jeff on our tail and we were not closing anything on David. Jeff jumped around and I went with him (with Shea on my wheel) until I fell off Jeff's pace. From there Shea and I worked some together until he dropped me. I worked for a good 1/2 lap to trying to close it to him, but it wasn't happening. 5th place was wayyyy behind us and knowing I was riding the Open in a couple hours I backed off the pace to save what was left the legs. Ended up 4th (DH won, JY 2nd, Shea 3rd).
Here I am chasing David thru the rhythm sections
The learning curve for riding the BMX track was steep!!
Had two hours to recover and prep again...
Regular fast kids lined up in the Open and short into the first lap settled in 8th-15th (pretty good group just stuck together) and stayed their for the first handful of laps. I pushed the effort a couple times trying to break it up, but felt the efforts of the Masters race and decided to 'hide out' for a couple to see if I could make it to the end. During this time Micheal Gaherty, my MWI teammate, started mixing it up and so for the first time in forever we actually raced as a team and took turns firing attacks while the other covered all the moves behind. Mike made a strong move with about four to go that shattered the group while I sat on a Dogfish rider who was trying to run him down. A Colovita guy jumped the group next and I quickly moved to his wheel as he was moving pretty good and with three to go he had caught Mike with only I on his wheel. This guy tried to attack us in a gravel section and went down (hard!) so Mike and I quickly buried ourselves swapping pulls and opened a big gap. I grabbed a second wind just about the time Mike started to cramp. He moved backwards to the chasing Dogfish rider while I held on for a couple laps to get 10th and Mike 12th. Some of the funnest racing I've done in a while and big thanks to Mike for such great teamwork.
Had two hours to recover and prep again...
Regular fast kids lined up in the Open and short into the first lap settled in 8th-15th (pretty good group just stuck together) and stayed their for the first handful of laps. I pushed the effort a couple times trying to break it up, but felt the efforts of the Masters race and decided to 'hide out' for a couple to see if I could make it to the end. During this time Micheal Gaherty, my MWI teammate, started mixing it up and so for the first time in forever we actually raced as a team and took turns firing attacks while the other covered all the moves behind. Mike made a strong move with about four to go that shattered the group while I sat on a Dogfish rider who was trying to run him down. A Colovita guy jumped the group next and I quickly moved to his wheel as he was moving pretty good and with three to go he had caught Mike with only I on his wheel. This guy tried to attack us in a gravel section and went down (hard!) so Mike and I quickly buried ourselves swapping pulls and opened a big gap. I grabbed a second wind just about the time Mike started to cramp. He moved backwards to the chasing Dogfish rider while I held on for a couple laps to get 10th and Mike 12th. Some of the funnest racing I've done in a while and big thanks to Mike for such great teamwork.
As we loaded up my body was completely drained, but in a good way. Don't know how many more 'double ups' I have, but it was definitely what I needed for this one day event. Solid day of racing!
Up next is 360 Cup on Saturday and Blvd Cup on Sunday; cash payout for Masters which is a rarity these days so it should be loaded as ever with some fast folks.
Up next is 360 Cup on Saturday and Blvd Cup on Sunday; cash payout for Masters which is a rarity these days so it should be loaded as ever with some fast folks.
** Above photos from Roger Harrison and Mark Breeding - sweet pics, guys **
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