Event: Central Coast Mountain Bike Race 2
Category: Expert Men 35-44
Date: March 14, 2004
Place: 6th
Field: 13
Team mates: Cory & Mike M. & Rick (where’s Kenny???)
Also racing mates: John N., Brian F., Mike O., Laurent, Michelle

Just have to love the 12:30pm start time. Plenty of time to drive down and get ready. I brought with me my new bike (see: The Mountain Bike Equation). I was excited to try it out in a race setting. Perfect for getting the true feeling of the bike.
Once at the race I began spotting Sycip jerseys everywhere. We had a big showing for this race and it looked great. I quickly registered, changed, and headed out for a warm-up. It was a beautiful day but there was a breeze and it was picking up.
The course was reverse from the prior race and bit longer. Three short steep climbs and then lots of fun twisty single-track. Warmed up on the paved road that a portion of the course used. This was also used for the start. A nice long uphill, into the wind, spin that would spread the field out a bit.

Time for the start, once again without enough warm-up, and I’m lined up with the engine humming. Bang, off we go. A couple of riders jump hard to the front and begin hammering up the hill. Fine with me. I jump in and let them do the work but stick at the front. Quickly we are into the first section of single-track. It’s obvious that some of these guys aren’t that good at technical riding as they take wrong lines and stall in corners. Argh.

We pop out onto the second section of paved road and into a harder head wind. Again, I let someone else pull at the front and then kick it hard as we hit the short rise before the tight 180 turn onto the dirt. Again, riders goofing up the corner. Ugh.

I keep up my pace as we chase Keith, off the front on his cyclocross bike. Hmm. I’m riding about 4th place and we’re hammering through the single-track. It’s a good pace and I feel fine. Out into the middle section of the course and over some old paved road, a hard right, and then towards a short climb.

Into the sandy corner I dive and then drop from the big ring to the middle. Ka-chung-chung… Ah, chain suck! I still have some speed and back pedal and shift to release the chain. Ka-chung. Argh. Guys are passing me. Shift and back pedal, click, it drops into gear. I began hammering hard up the hill. But I’ve lost a bunch of places. What a rookie move!

The leaders are off the front but I catch a small chase group. We hammer hard and I begin picking off places. We drop around and down through the start-finish and then off towards the paved road. Soon onto the road and I’m pulling into the wind. The pace and the wind is starting to take a toll. But there, coming by me, is my teammate Brian and he sets down an evil pace. I’m on his wheel and begin to recover as we charge the hill. In our dash we blast past the Buy-Cell rider I’ve been trading places with. But he jumps on so as not to miss out.

Now we burn around the corner and onto the dirt. I attack hard and the group starts spreading out. But the Buy-Cell guy is not going to give up easy. It becomes a battle as the two of us start chasing down the lead riders. This continues and we soon catch two more riders on the hill where I dropped my chain. No dropping chain this time, only other riders!

The pace from the third lap is starting to wear me. Ugh, I knew I had one too many beers the night before. But I hammer on. As I reach the hairpin right before the finish I see Andrew standing there sporting a daze and a dirty jersey. Oh no, he went down hard. I check if he’s ok and then yell to Rod over at the finish to send someone over to help. They are on it. I hit the gas and chase after the Buy-Cell guy. I’m not making any time on him. He’s 25 yards now, then 50 yards as I drop onto the paved road. He’s pushing one gear higher and I’m red-lining keeping up.

At the top of the last paved section he has held his 100 yard gap. I look back and there’s not a sole behind. I focus on catching him. Through the single-track I fly, smooth and fast. With nobody in front of me I can nail all the lines and bomb the corners. I reach the open section in the middle of the course. But he’s still got a gap and it’s increased! Double argh.

At the top of the climb I look back, still nobody visible. There’s no chance of catching him now. It’s all easy sailing back to the start/finish. So I keep up a fast pace but don’t push it. And this takes me down and to the start/finish where I cross the line with a smile on my face.

Another fun day of racing and the bike handled really well.

Cheers!

Race Notes:

1. Lots of poison oak, especially on the corners right where the line was.
2. Used Tecnu but still got a little bit of poison oak itching.
3. My new Michelin Comp S Lite tires worked well but are sketchy on loose corners. But, two wheel drifts are fun!
4. The CCCX crew put together an awesome course. Thanks!
5. Keith’s mom, what a trooper!
6. The whole SyCip crew. A great group of people.
7. My Sycip mountain bike is fantastic!