Cross X 2

Photo Lil Ball professional photography

I don't even know where to begin.  How about Friday evening when we were putting up stakes and banners trying to beat the dark?  Yea, there wasn't anything but paint on the ground to mark the course when we got there that afternoon.  A small crew of us managed to put up 1.2 miles of stakes and ribbon, plus build and install the barriers.  Then, Saturday morning, Tim was still putting the final touches on the course when I got there.  But like these things usually do everything worked out.  The course was amazing!

Well, most of it was amazing.  The only sketchy part was the paved section through the vendor area.  The heavy dew/fog, combined with a pavement sealer, plus tree cover, made it like ice during our 10 am race.  There was much carnage. 

I, however, avoided that mayhem, thanks to Tim's advice to just recover through there.  My strategy of keeping an even tempo and not blowing up in the beginning, plus the aforementioned care on the pavement, rewarded me with a victory in the 55 plus class.  Don't think my victory was in any way tainted by the fact that both my competitors spent time sliding along the pavement.  Hey, a wins a win.

 

 

Another Lil Ball photo.  I just wish he wouldn't throw leaves on me.

The Kid had a great race, riding my bike, and won the 15-18 class.  He spent the evening on the computer looking at cross bikes.

The Course

The venue was in an undeveloped office complex on the east side of Tallahassee.  The start was uphill on the pavement, climbed to the top of the hill, then made a left onto the grass.  That's where the fun started.  The banners weaved in and out under a grove of live oaks, going down hill, only to make a 180 and go back up, till finally turning at the bottom and climbing alllllllll the way back to the top where the barriers were.  By the time I got to the barrier run I was in the red zone.  Then it headed back downhill under more trees, zigging and zagging it's way to a section that ran off camber on a steep slope, then down to the bottom of a hill that some walked up.  It was a grunt in granny/granny to make it to the top.  Then came the famous slick pavement through the vendors eventually turning back onto the start straight.  The finish was located almost at the top of the hill.  Sadistic. 

Sunday, We Do It Again

I hoped for a bigger turnout but it was not to be.  The two gentlemen who crashed the day before didn't return, which left only three in my class.  Fortunately I got to race with some guys in the 45 plus class so I had some carrots to chase.  I won 55 plus again so my prediction of domination proved correct.

The Kid decided to race Cat 4 so he could get done earlier.  The rider that had given him fits in 15-18 the day before (Red Eye Coffee Racing RECR) was racing that class also.  Off the start the two of them were together in about 4th and 5th.  After the first lap they were off the front with The Kid in the lead and RECR on his wheel.  They stayed like that the whole 30 minutes, eventually finishing in a sprint to the line.  The Kid won by half a wheel.  The expression on his face when he rolled back up to the tent is why we go racing.

The After Party

We had the loudest corner.  Fueled by Fat Tire and good friends the heckling was as much fun as the race.  I understand why they say Cross is the fastest growing racing discipline in cycling.  What I don't understand is why the local turnout was so low.  I know it hurts to race it, but only for an hour or less.  And yes, it's a little expensive when you add in the cost of a license, but the bang for the buck is there.

 

Anyhoo, we're going to Gainesville next weekend to do it again.  The local CX scene down there is the biggest in the state so we're looking forward to a good race.