mugwump said:

Besides Jim Feehan, are any Kissena's at CX nationals?  
In any capacity?

Thanks for the encouragement. Like I said the course had lots of places where one's race could end very quickly. For all intents and purposes, mine ended about 400 meters in. Not so big on race reports, but here goes.

From 5th row on grid, moved into 20-25th position as we came off road. First "feature" on course was little 2 1/2 foot high flat table top berm as headed downhill toward first flyover. Saw opening on left hand side and went for it, as soon as front wheel got on top of berm, zero traction and front wheel went out from under to right. I pile drove myself into round on left side, skidding across and off the top of berm. Landed on far side where I was hit/landed on by a number of guys. Last guy who hit me on ground did so with chainring to back of head/helmet. Helmet split open with big piece hanging off left side. Lead to some very creative heckling rest of race. "Your aero helmet is slowing you down" kind of stuff. Vertical cut about 3/4 inch from left ear as result.

Get up an see entire field disappear over flyover and ask the guy who hit me if he was good. He responds he's fine, I apologize for ruining his Nationals and off he goes. I remount to find I can't turn cranks. Chain totally jammed in frame, under chain watcher. Takes what seems like two minutes to get it out and I am off, bleeding from mouth, head and leg.

Takes me almost full lap to catch last stragglers. Pass 17 guys before end of 3rd lap when I get pulled. Winner only did 4 laps in 55 plus as race is only 40 minutes long. I am catching and passing groups of guys in 3rd lap and probably could have gotten another 10-15 spots with another lap but didn't really go there looking for 50th, so it really wasn't too big a deal to have it end after 3 laps. 69th of 86 finishers.

My wife made me go to medical tent after to get head checked. I asked EMT how many fingers I was holding up, he said 2 and I said right I'm good to go. Ribs didn't really start to hurt too bad until an hour after race. Had a couple of beers with my brothers and ex-coach Paul Curley which helped cancel out pain for a while although laughing hurt. Didn't sleep much at all. Due to prior history of collapsed lung (long story) decided to get checked out.

After 4 hours in "Urgent" Care facility in Asheville, x-rays confirmed fractures of 6th and 7th left sided ribs. Good pain meds going now. Like I said lots of places on course where ace could end real quick. I found mine right away. Something to be said fro economy of effort.

 So endeth the report, so endeth the season. If you are going to get hurt, best it be in last race of year. All in all no complaints about CX 2016 season. Can't wait to go again in September! Cross still rules.

Jim Feehan said:

I have the x-ray CD. Does that count? When I go back on Sunday for Elite races, I will photo the crash crater.

Durrin is very solid and is only one of the names being mentioned that actually has Euro experience. Plus he is a very fast starter, which is what need to finish the race on lead lap from back.

Don't forget that to be considered, you have to petition for spot. Given his 49 ranking (Is there a Hotlist this year after all?) Cam Dodge would have been in, if he had petitioned. I think he has a strained relationship with USA Cycling?

What I don't get is someone like Page citing expense. I am aware of the new baby and the backstory to it, but why expenses? Wouldn't Fuji foot the bill to get him over there just for the publicity of having bike at Worlds? No one else is going to ride one.

Jim- sorry to disappoint but I think Owen is headed for the dark side. I watched the Elite race in Asheville from top of finishing straight and I have to tell you when he was chasing Powers and Hyde, he was going 5 mph faster than them on the road. I suspect that he will dabble in cross for a long time, but his road class is going to bring big money and force his hand. Here's hoping it doesn't happen.

Marc- Is Trebon leaving Cyclocrossworld or is he losing Cannondale as a MTB sponsor? If he leaves Cyclocrossworld, doesn't Anthony Clark fill right into that spot? That is if Stu and TJohnson can take a whole year of his antics? Talk about a publicity magnet for team.

"Gut check update:

A lot of people have asked me, what have I been doing? Why aren't you racing all the races this year? And at the same token I have been written off by a wide variety of people as well. Yes, I have not been racing a lot this past 2 season. The primary reason is because when I fracture back at the beginning of last season I was naive (stupid) and didn't want to admit just how serious of an injury it was. So I pushed thru the discomfort and pain, tried to come back to racing to quickly, didn't do enough work on the back end rehabbing my injury. And as a result I suffered mightily all season, and well into the spring and summer of 2015. It for sure took its toll physically on me, constant pain, not really able to sleep that well. It all beat me down so heavily that mentally I was ready for the 2015 CX season to be my last a professional. Its funny how something you love to do can become something you dread so much. I was over riding and racing bikes. I wasn’t enjoying the effort, the process, the journey. When the desire for racing was waning other opportunities started to present themselves and I took that as a sign that I was making the right decision to step away from racing after this season. I made a solid effort the end of july and august to get ready for the upcoming season and end my career the way I wanted to. I began racing at Vegas and felt strong and ready for the season, my motivation was high. I was excited to be out battling on the course and taking risk. Everything was going well. Gloucester was a good weekend except for a bunch of flat tires. But once Providence hit I was struggling with a familiar leg pain that I have had occasionally thru out the years this time it was more persistent and worse. My left leg was weaker than my right and I don’t mean slightly. I felt that I could maybe only generate 50% of the power of my right leg. I thought knew the symptoms and the fix for it, so I tried to manage and race thru it. All of Oct and Nov. I was essentially racing on 1 leg and still getting decent results at a handful of races. I was so fucking frustrated not being able to show what I was capable of. But more so because I was really enjoying the racing, I was aching to get results and was starting to want to continuing racing for a few more years. As my motivation grew for racing my future job opportunities outside of racing fell away. Things do happen for a reason and I was irritated but unsure if thats what I wanted anymore anyways. The leg pain ended up being a herniated disc in my lower lumbar spine. Some good doctoring and lots of work strengthening it I feel almost back to 100%. I have been training and getting ready for nationals as best as I can this past few weeks. Do I think I’ll win? Most likely not, I respect my competitors too much and know just how good you have to be to be at the top and in all honesty I am not there right now. I plan on going out there next weekend, racing my ass off, taking risk, representing my sponsors as best as I can and we will see what comes of it. I currently have lost every sponsorship deal I had except 1. The guys at Cannondale/CyclocrossWorld have been hugely supportive the last two season even thru my lackluster results and I appreciate it to no end. I also know I will most likely not be back on the team next year as the younger guys are proving their worth and sometimes there just isn’t space for an old man. Who will I be racing with next season? I have no idea and honestly not really any prospect at the moment either, All I know is I will for sure be out there, even if I have to sell everything I own to fund myself. I love racing, riding, talking about bikes, sharing the experience with people, and for me finishing my career the way I want to is important. Plus I’m ready to kick some ass again. I’m 34 not 44. I have a few good years left in me still."