It’s November in
West Virginia and that means 3 things. One, it means Thanksgiving is here
which, for some may not be significant, but for me it means a week off of
school filled with riding and relaxing at home. Two, it means things are
starting to cool down and the jackets and tights are coming out. No longer can
a ride be thrown together in 10 minutes but rather must be planned for 15 and then another 20 of getting dressed. Third, and most exciting, is that cyclocross
season is in full swing. With multiple racing opportunities every weekend,
there is no hiding from the season so I might as well embrace it.
I have always
enjoyed cyclocross even though this year marks only my second season of
participating in the drunken circus. Last year, because of the timing of
collegiate mountain bike nationals, I was on the road racing mountain bikes for
the first half of ‘cross season and too worn out from traveling and racing to
think about the tail end of the year. However, this year, I took a step back
from the collegiate scene and decided to focus more locally this Fall in hopes
of feeling a little more ready to go when January rolls around. With Nationals
being in Pennsylvania in 2013 I would be downright stupid not to focus on it
and make it my “big goal” for the year. Anyways, hanging around home meant I
had the chance to race some cyclocross.
‘Cross racing
really provides two things for me. First, it is just an absolute ton of fun.
The complete absurdity of the entire format makes it an absolute blast. It is
hard for me to get overly serious about things when I am sliding through a turn
on my ass or running up a muddy hill while being heckled by my friends. Second,
racing cyclocross helps me carry a bit more fitness into the base season and is
a great chance to get some good threshold work done. There is no better
training than racing and there is no better threshold workout than a “drooling
on your chin” ‘cross race.
So, with little
preparation, I rolled into the first race of the season: ABRA’s Kickoff Cross
in Point Marion, PA and was pleasantly surprised to have my bell rung. I found
myself not only starting in the back of the field but also remaining there,
battling for the top 15, for the entire race. I burped a tire, rammed a
barrier, and, put simply, just sucked. With that in the books, I decided that a
little practice in the transitions department was in order. Granted, I didn’t
put too much time into it (again, the goal is not to get too serious) but I
gave it enough effort as to not look like a fool again.
After Kickoff
Cross was Military Cross in Oakdale, PA. It proved equally as disappointing
unfortunately. After an OK start and maintaining good position in the field, the
rain brought me down. My tire selection could not have been worse and I found
myself doing more 180’s than anything else. I ended up finishing 10th,
which was OK but not nearly where I was hoping to be.
I was finally
able to put it together for a 4th place at Marilla Cross. With good
tires and some half descent ‘cross skills on my side, I got around the course
in a respectable manner. I was evening riding up in 3rd at one point
but just got all goofy headed and lost my flow. Still though, compared to how
things had been going I couldn’t complain.
Finally came the
Monster Cross weekend and the coinciding state championship race. Given my love
for glory, fame, and the copious amounts of cash that come with winning state
championships, I told coach Mike Shultz that I wanted to make this an “A” race
for ‘cross season. Honestly, I had planned more than anything to be helping out
teammate Gunnar Shogren
take the win but, after his nasty crash at Marilla Cross while battling for the
win there, it was obvious that he wasn’t going to be able to motor at the front
and contest the title.
Per what has
become the usual this Fall, I blew my prime starting position on the front row
by missing a pedal and was in about 12th into the first turn. I knew
that I needed to get to the front quickly so, on the next straight, I dropped
the hammer and started making passes. I got up behind Gunnar in around 6th
or so and followed him for a few minutes to learn the good lines before making
my way up further through the group.
Finally, I found
myself in 4th place behind Mike Vanderberg, the only other West
Virginia and, therefore, my target. With much cheering from my teammates along
the sidelines I found my way up to Mike. We went at it for a good bit with
constant attacking and counter attacking up the climbs and over the barriers.
After some serious battling, I was able to get a sizeable gap on one of the
power straights and hold it until the end wrapping up 3rd place and
the 1/2/3 WV cyclocross state championship for team Pathfinder of WV! As a
bonus to it all, JR Petsko, the ABRA promoter, now calls me to the line as “the
West Virginia Cyclocross State Champion” which is pretty cool.
The next day we
headed to the 4-H camp again for day 2 of Monster Cross. Although many course
elements were the same there were a few key changes that made the course both
faster but also more challenging in the transition areas. This time I did a
little better with the start hanging onto around 6th place out of
the gate. I maneuvered up through the group and settled into 4th
place. The lead group of three was motoring up ahead and I knew that, if I
wanted to contest the top 3 steps on the podium, I was going to have to bridge
up quickly. I made a big move on the major climb of the course and linked up
with the tail end of the group. Unfortunately, leader Mike Mihalik saw me hook
on and, at the bottom of the descent after the climb, dropped the hammer. I was able to hang on through the flat
but disconnected again through the dismount and run-up section and didn’t have
the gas for another big solo effort. I decided at that point to just ride hard
at threshold and hope that maybe someone up ahead exploded. As much as I wanted
to be top 3, I wasn’t going to lose top 4 in the process of trying to get
there. Not much happened after that except for a lot of head burying misery
through which I maintained 4th place.
‘Cross season,
so far, has been a really great experience for me. I have not only had a lot of
fun but also learned a fair bit that I think I will be able to utilize this spring
when I hop on the Scalpel 29er for the season opener. If there is one thing
‘cross has taught me it is how to be smooth and flow through the turns. This is
definitely a skill I lacked and I think I will really benefit from having
learned it. “Point and shoot” works sometimes but it is always good to have
options.
Until next time,
ride hard, ride safe, and have fun!
- TL
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