Sierra Vista is situated near the Mexico/Arizona Border and was home to race number four in this year's Arizona State Series. The course is a hilly one at mild elevation (4000ft), and is located on a U.S Army base.With dogs in tow, L.A. and I arrived the night before for a quick preview of the course along with Nick Thomas. I had raced here one year ago but it was still nice to get a pre-ride in. Pre-riding a course gives it a feeling of being an important race and seems to really focus my mind on the job at hand. It also reminds me of traveling, being at national or other high priority races, and generally makes any race more like a "big event". It was nice!
The course was very climby, just like I remembered. But it was also very loose and had many sharp, tire eating rock formations in some high speed sections of trail. I realized I may have made the wrong choice when I grabbed my last new pair of skinny sissy tires off the shelf. But they were mounted and I had no replacements so sissy tires it would be.
The morning of the race was cool and extremely windy. The weather was predicting gusts above 40 mph, warming up consisted of getting blown around and eating flying sand. I pedaled around and complained for about 10 minutes and then headed over to the start.
I got a front row start and a pretty good sprint off the line to match. I settled into 4th heading into the first windy, loose climb and then took 3rd near the top. I made a little space between myself and 4th place but still lost some ground on the leaders.
24 minutes later I was coming through the flat area near the start to begin my 2nd of 5 laps. Lap 2 had me feeling optimistic as I hit the beginning of the climb again. I could feel my back tire was low but that was ok for the climb as it allowed for better than normal traction. Before long though I was down on the rim and had to stop and dismount to fill it. A little C02 was all it took and I was back on the bike in seconds.
Near the end of lap 2 I hit a sharp rock and lost all air from the rear...damn. I stopped, tubed it, and headed off again, now in 4th place.
Lap 3 was great until I flatted yet again on the very same rock that go me on lap 2! Unreal. I limped to the finish and accepted some help from the pit to install a new tube and was off to lap 4. On lap 4 I realized I still had a chance at 3rd and started taking chances on the faster parts of the course, resulting in another flat, this time in the front. Riding the flat back to the pit was no fun, but they had everything ready for me and I was able to finish. This was enough to keep me top 3 in the points race with 2 races to go in the series!
Next up was L.A.'s race. The wind was still crazy and it was much warmer out. She headed out on lap number one of four sitting in fourth place for most of the lap.
Shortly before coming through to begin lap 2 she moved into 3rd place and looked real cool coming through the feed zone.
Maintaining her place for the 3rd lap she was eating, drinking and focused but so was the girl behind her. She was surprised to find she got caught with less than a lap to go and put the hammer down. Moving back into 3rd and putting minutes on 2 of her rivals who were hot on her heals just a couple miles before the line.
Celebrating her first podium of 2012 with a "superman" as she crossed over the line.
We have been doing a variety of Criteriums and Circuit races this year. This is new territory for me but Lee-Ann is a natural and seasoned Crit racer. It began with an underground training crit, then I was doing a stage race, and now I find myself actually caring about my results...it's whacked.
I used to not mention these races in my blogs because well...I sucked. And I still suck on a road bike but just not quite as bad as when I started.
One race I had been looking forward to was the South Mountain Circuit Race. I ride here often on the mountain roads and trails, and was looking forward to my first hilly circuit race. I like to climb!
This was a 35 minute race on course with a long, hilly, twisty climb followed by a long hilly, twisty descent. 25 dudes were in my field and within a couple of laps I had a feeling I may be a better descender than most.
The field of riders stayed together for the entire race so on the last lap I attacked about halfway up the climb. One rider grabbed my wheel and the two of us gapped the field. We crested the climb and I was hoping to shake this guy on the fast and tight turns of the downhill but no dice. He stayed with me, we put a huge gap on everyone else, I could not even see them as we arrived at the final downhill turn and headed toward the finish.
Out sprinted, I finished 2nd, my best yet in a circuit race.
Next up was the Hungry Dog Crit. I signed up for 3 races and L.A. was racing too!She raced first with the rest of the Cat 1 through 4 women. Wearing her Hammer Nutrition Shorts and Bicycle Ranch Jersey she got a prim (prize for first place that lap) earning her first cash of the season! Coming around for the final lap the entire group was together as she started her sprint. There was no competition at all in the sprint and she won the race by several bike lengths! Her sprint is really a sight to see. Click here and fast forward to the end to see it!
My masters race was next. I finished 12th, then got crushed in my second race. In my 3rd race was where the real action was. The field was HUGE. I bet 40 or so guys at least. The pace was pretty high most of the race. I was feeling ok thanks to Hammer Nutrition Recoverite between races and Hammer Gel or HEED during race. I wish I could say I raced smart but instead I will tell you I learned a lot this race. Coming into the final lap I was riding near the front. Then heading in the final corner before the finish there was a big acceleration. Someone's pedal made contact with a wheel in front of me and chaos ensued. I realized in an instant that I was probably about to be involved in my first major road bike crash.
Two guys directly in front of me hit the ground and one slides into the path of my bike. We are moving at nearly 30mph, as my front wheel comes in contact with another riders head up and over the human we go! I remember thinking "I am still upright!? Maybe I can save this!" and just then I am gang tackled from the right and rear. In an instant I go from way fast to getting up off the ground and locating my bike in the pileup. I realize I am ok and all but 2 riders are up on their feet. The officials are there and tending to the injured so I assist for a moment before remounting and coasting to the finish.
Being involved in the crash was an eye opener. I learned a lot.
We are doing another Crit this weekend and the following before heading to MBAA 5. Another hilly course with some great climbs, descents, singletrack, TREES! and altitude.
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