Saturday I arrived just in time to the overcast skies and cool temps. The venue was on a mountain right in the middle of suburbia. If you watch the videos you can see for yourself what I am talking about. After the old registration and warm up routine I lined up with about 100 of the fastest racers in the country. There were teams from several other countries as well. I actually got a call up although it was at about 60th position on the line so it was little help.
Before long we were off and racing! The start was a quick series of S turns that caused a huge "yo yo" effect in the pack. Back at mid pack where I was we came to a complete stop at the first few corners while the leaders sailed through and were gone.
The course was rocky and flat near the start but quickly led up to an extremely long and steep climb. It was sandy, rutted, relentless. We were all in our lowest gear grinding up at near max effort. Some of the guys ahead slipped mid way up and we were all forced to dismount and run the remainder. As if my legs did not hurt enough already! Within a few steps the burn was intense! More than the normal amount of pain for sure. I made a mental note to stay on the bike at all costs on this climb the remaining 4 laps.
Finally near the top of the mountain the climb leveled out and we were up to speed on some really sweet packed-sand singletrack. There were plenty of boulders here and there and the course followed the ridge of the mountain for a while before the downhill. What a downhill it was! High speed, swoopy, scenic, two wheeled fun! Then a little bit of road leading to the start finish where we would do it all again.
Our class was extremely spread out, there was little passing opportunities and I took the first two laps just sitting behind people much of the time. Lap 3 was better, I finally rode the whole giant climb now that the pack was thinning. I was feeling pretty good, the bike worked great. I ran the new bontrager 29-2 tires. While they are optimized for loose conditions they work well just about anywhere and were a huge help on that long sandy climb. One slip and a racer is off the bike and walking to the top!
Lap 4 was going good, I was getting optimistic as I saw the guys ahead of me starting to fade back. Although I was moving up it was not enough to keep me from getting lapped by the leader just before crossing the line for my final lap. I was forced to abandon and scored in my place at 66th out of around 100 guys. Not the finish I had hoped for but wow what a fun race and insane competition!
Later that day was the super D event. It was a downhill course with one small climb in the middle. We not only competed against the top xc guys but also the top downhill guys at the race. I dropped a chain and was forced to dismount to fix it during the race but still placed 29th which I was quite happy with. The course was really fun with some pretty scary drops near the bottom, I nearly lost it near the finish to the delight of a large crowd that had gathered there. It was cool to nearly crash then save my own ass to the cheers of so many spectators!
Finally Sunday night closed with the short track. Race. A twenty minute race around a short loop. The course was very roadie friendly and I knew I would be in trouble when I got another way back call up. I was starting near the rear and a crash at the start brought my group to a screeching halt in the first corner. By the time we got moving the leaders were way gone and the panic ensued. Our group stretched out to a single file line as we all sprinted hard trying to catch up. I was redlined beyond the redline, I blew and struggled alone a couple of laps before latching onto a rider and getting some air back into the lungs. I hung on for a couple laps, made a move to pass, and just as I was getting tired again we got pulled as the leaders approached from behind. I was not sure what to expect but I made it 16 minutes before getting pulled which I was not totally disappointed about. Overall for the weekend's Triple Crown I managed a 45th place which I suppose would be categorized as an honest ass kicking. What a humbling experience to line up next to legends and really see where I stand.
Next up is the Whisky 50 where I will again be battling with the big guns in the Arizona high country. I suspect it's going to be Epic!
Check out the two videos below, they give a glimpse of the giant climb and the awesome trail conditions, as well as the insane speeds we travel at on our bicycles.
Watch more video of US CUP PRO TRIPLE CROWN #2 FONTANA on cyclingdirt.org
Watch more video of US CUP PRO TRIPLE CROWN #2 FONTANA on cyclingdirt.org
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