Nitty Lion UCI 2 9/11/2010

Oh, how quick the cyclocross season came this year.

First race of the season has always been a coin flip for me. I was a little more confident going into this year's first race because I had actually raced on the road this summer and just completed 3 crits in St. Louis the weekend before.

Nitty Lion 2010
UCI 2, MAC series #1
Race Time: 1:30pm
Temp: over 68 degrees
Course: flat, lots of turns, dry, bumpy, 1 dismount
Tires: 32 Grifo's on Rol aluminum wheels, 31 psi in the rear and 30 psi in the front

Things have changed from years past. We were started on a light that turned green. I didn't like that at all. UCI you are no longer able to run 34mm tires. I don't like that either.

Started on the 2nd row. I should to taken more time to scope out the start since it had changed from the year before. The start is really important on this course because of all the tight turns it's really hard to pass people. I had a bad start, missed my pedal and spent most of my fist lap trying to get around riders. By the 2nd lap the lead group of 10 riders was only 30 meters up the road. 3 laps in I was just on the tail end of the lead group. After a heavily rooted section I tried to get around a rider and finally make contact with the lead group. I forgot about a mulch hump that was in the middle of the course. By the time I realized it I was heading full speed straight towards the center of the pile. There was nothing I could do. I launched into the air and landed on my front wheel. Rode my front wheel for a few yards before flipping over the bars and hitting the ground hard. Luckily my calf and forearm took the blunt of the force. I gathered myself and figured it was still early in the race and decided to get back on and see if I could finish. After a lap I started feeling alright. I continued racing, but only managed to pass a few more riders. I finished up 16th place same as last year. I didn't realize it but my rear wheel was rubbing the whole time after the crash. I had great legs too.

I can't wait for this weekend's racing