Ohio Racing Wrapup

Back home and I'm finally able to post some pictures from the weekend. A lot of fun and some fierce racing. I knew it was going to be tough even to finish top 10 in these races and I was just hoping to grab a few UCI points and get some good efforts in. Transitioning into cross after racing road all year is always a bit difficult - the bike handling skills and the full on 40 minute effort is a change and it takes me a few races to start to feel more comfortable. I'm getting there - I felt pretty good in the races and I'm definitely getting a feel for the new bike. It handles really well and the weight difference from the old rig is amazing - this thing practically lifts itself over barriers. Traveling with Marko and Brian was pretty rad. We came to represent the home state - Wisconsin crossers in the house. We had quite the setup with the Planet Bike van and got lots of compliments from fellow riders. Big thanks to Bob and Planet Bike for helping us out this weekend and getting us to the races.



Here are a few photos from Friday
going over the log
Brian and Marko
Marko

And Saturday (my camera battery died early)
the post race oasis
Mike and his rocket pop - thanks again for all of your help this weekend Mike!!

Finished up the three day stint of cross racing yesterday with the Biowheels race just outside of Cincinatti. Another ridiculous hot day with temps hitting 85 once again. Long course with two trips through a sand pit - one side being consistently rideable the other a little deeper and slower - a long twisty pavement climb, and a downhill 180 turn. Some pretty good power sections and I was hoping I had something left in the tank to shoot for perhaps another 7th place? The previous two days were pretty much the Katie Compton show. Georgia Gould, Rachel Lloyd, and Sue Butler were hanging up there but the race was pretty strung out. Sunday I was hoping to try to stick a little closer to the wheels of LVG and Devon.

I need to work on my starts - my acceleration is not great and I end up getting stuck behind riders and working to come around them in the first half lap. I finally moved my way up and was with the group of Dede Winfield, LVG, and Devon but in the middle of the second lap they pushed the pace and I started to drift back a bit. Nikki and Barb Howe were just behind me and eventually came around. I sat on their wheels for a lap or two before pushing the pace on a long gradual climb to get a gap and try to maintain. I was sitting in 8th and was trying to keep powering through the course to put time on the girls behind me and see if anyone in front of me was getting tired. I WAS getting tired - dry mouth was getting to me and my legs and lungs were putting up a white flag against a third day of intense effort.

Surfing through the sand - thanks to Brian's mom for the picture!

One lap to go and I kept my spot - 7 not being so lucky for me today - and finished 8th. A few more points to add to the total and some solid races to hopefully help get in me better shape for the weeks to come. It's always exciting to line up with some of the best racers in the country and I look forward to doing it again at the USGP in Kentucky in two weekends.

Then I got to yell at the boys in their race where some fresh legs came out for the C1 to try and grab big points. They both had a solid start and Brian was in the lead group of 9 for nearly a lap. They soon settled into a group of 3 that was racing for 9th-11th. The gaps between groups were pretty big. The announcer had some good one liners to express this. "The field is strung out like string theory" and "the riders are dropping faster than the DOW Jones" - pretty funny. There was also a dude on a full drumset banging out some beats to keep the crowd entertained. Cool atmosphere and a well put on race. Marko and Brian were looking strong and their group was actually really close to catching 8th place at the line.

Marko finished 10th with Brian just behind for 11th. Very solid performances by the guys and they came away with some well deserved UCI points this weekend. The finish yesterday between Powers and Bishop was pretty awesome. They were neck and neck when about 200 meters to go Bishop snaps a chain and has to run across the line for second. I think he may have taken him otherwise. Both J-Pow and KFC ended up with hat tricks in the only three consecutive days of UCI racing in the States.

I attempted to take some video yesterday and here are two short clips - one of the lead group going through the downhill 180 turn followed closely by Marko and Brian - and then the guys going through the barriers.





Now it's time for a few recovery days before hitting up some local races this weekend and the USGP next weekend. Looking forward to crossing it up these next two months!!