Verona CX @ Badger Prairie Park by Capital Velo Club (CVC)

Today was the second cross race of the Madison Cross weekend. Today started out to be a crappy day and never really changed. The only thing I had going for me was that I raced in morning, with a steady drizzle/rain and temps hovering around 50 it made for a very cross like atmosphere. Cross isn't meant to held in the 70s and 80s with the sun shining, its meant to be held in what would be described as crap weather. I found that after yesterday I knew what it would take to win. It seems that the weather didn't keep many people from racing, fields were about as big as they were @ Cam-Rock. The course picked and setup and promoted by the folks at CVC was great. Fun, challenging, and all round a separating the men from the boys kind of course. There were 3 barrier sets, but only 1 of the traditional sort of 2 by 12. the other were using features found on the course. There was a run-up w/ two logs. In dry conditions someone could go up that hill including going over the logs, but with conditions as slick as they were no-one was doing that. Theo and Aris Raced Juniors, I would have like to see Aris Race 4s but o well.

Anyway, When it came time for my race @ 1030 it seemed the rain picked up a little bit which sucked. I got a good place on the left side not the best spot, but pretty good, I just wanted to be top 10 to the first turn. Finally we started, I got going hard, it was one of my best leadouts ever, I think I was like 6th into the first turn which was a tight one I knew making it there before other people would help a ton. This course isn't the smoothest, not rough enough to warrant a Moutain bike, but you couldn't sit in the saddle much. The course had lots of sharp accelerations and dips dives, fast sections and slow section including haripins and 3 different types of barriers. This course had pretty much anything a cross racer aficianato could ask for. Back to the race I tried really hard to stay in the top 10, after realizing I had very little expierience in the mud particularly on a cross bike my only expeirience was at Janesville last year and that course sucked a bit as well as I was slow. I found that my legs didn't show up to race and I was getting passed left and right. I was still ahead of a lot of the 4s so I gave it about a lap or so and they never really came round. I was pushing harder and going slower, never a good sign. When we got to the run up on the second lap I made the decision that enough was enough, I was getting run over and being nothing more than a nusisance on a bike, Continuing would have been dumb and unsafe. I did well yesterday and this gives me all the more motivation to train harder for next weekends races. So ending result was a DNF or a W/D which ever term you prefer.

Someone I know didn't feel like getting Their pretty nice White bike all dirty, so he didn't come. Do me a favor and go give him crap.

Just to give you an idea of how dirty and muddy the race was today here are my friends from Team MARS, Nate and Mitch.




Check back tomorrow night, I already have a blog planned, just need to push it out.