Race: Verge MAC Sreies— Blue Diamond Park Cross
Location: New Castle , Delaware
Date: Oct. 16, 2004
3 for me and Gary too...
B's and C's raced together. B's starting first.
I went to the staging area late and had to line up at the back of the
field - 20 guys or so. I tried to get a front row spot, but I was DENIED
by the officials. No hole shot for me today, but I did make it to
around 6th place by the time we left the pavement.
The course in Southampton was basically the same as last year, but
drier, so the run-up was now rideable. It was a rather boring race. By
the time I had run the runup (too much traffic the first lap), I was
winded and still in 6th place. I steadily gained ground on fourth and
fifth, and eventually third, but first and second were riding too
strongly, so I raced for third. Nothing interesting or spectacular
happened, I just wanted to drop out the whole time because it hurt so much.
Over the last couple of laps, a guy whose kids kept yelling out "go
daddy" as I rode by (and he soon followed), and who had passed me
earlier in the race to just be repassed later, kept coming close to
catching me, then I would stop resting and distance myself, take it easy
in the technical sections to avoid a mistake and then go faster again.
Well, on the last lap, after the final "go daddy" up the runup, I
noticed that on the downhill afterwards, the "go daddy" wasn't
forthcoming. Thinking I had finally broken him, I looked back to see
someone right where I thought he would have been - but the skinsuit was
DIFFERENT! Ummm, not good....
I then actually had to start riding hard again. I kept my lead through
the woods and then its ride one way on the side of a small grassy slope,
turn at the end and come back the same way on pavement with a slight
uphill grade to finish the race. I figured I just needed to be on the
pavement first and I could summon the wisdom and speed of track racers
of yore (me included) to make sure I took the sprint. Flew by a
backmarker on the high side of the hill and scared the hell out of him.
Took the turn first, began to expect pain and I hear "crunk,
arghhhhh..." My buddy Adam Skypanski (sp?) had rolled his tubie and
could no longer challenge for 3rd. Sweet patience had paid off... Ride
slow and steady, but make sure your slow is faster than their fast and
you're golden.
Next week - Verona and Evo Cross (first MAC race of the year).
Gary Katz took 3rd in the C's - Gary, pipe up...
E.R.
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