NCCX (20th anniversary year) race#13 Statesville-CX 18dec2106, Mstr40+ cat4/5, 30min
Hi ALL, finally a raceReport
...early departure Sat.18dec16, longDay's driving from 4:30am, &3" snows of BrooklynNY, 2DelawareMemorial bridge, then rain, rain, finally, slivers of blueSky between majestic blueRidgeMountains of westernVA along US rte. 81south; arrived @microtel 7:45p;
pizza, squats, stretches, 17min on stationary bike, incl.(2)27s openers; TV: PBS's Sherlock; &sleep 'till 6:45a;
10a race Mstr40+ cat4/5; lucky to find race location on faceBk, 10min drive, arrive@8:20a; noRain, (yet) balmy 56dF, mostly dry course: pine woods, berms, heavy straw meadows, gravel fireRoad, couple run-ups, (1)set of barriers, &paved hill climb @start/finish;
course taped in orange, pre-ride #1 (super winded)1.85miles, 9:45min, fell twice @redClay runUps; pre-ride #2, practice runUp 6x, still searching for fastLines @technical and speed sections...kitUp, partial pre-ride#3, 3x @runUps, back 2'lilRed'Truck to chill&meditate;
...oops! late-again for call-up(ranked #1 for race on usaCycling), drats! start 4th row of 37racers;
we're off: clip-in!!! grassey start 40m &onto pavement 200m, into 1st right turn, dive into 3rd place, quick left turn2 &approach runUp #1, 2nd rider place falls 90d to course, i fall over rider&bike, field passes to the left, leader is goneGood-bye, i disentangle&runHill, run-run, reMount&ATTACK!
pass(4) on straight &next 3turns, (am definitely redLining) try2breath, remember harry, breath, breath;
approach group of (4), in woods/pineBarrens (be smart, figureOut when safe to pass) ohNooo too hot into left turn& i go down again, alone...
group fades upAhead, ATTACK again;
catch one straggler, (still winded) gather speed in descent as approach group of(5) @next technical section; pass (2) in 4turns; (breath) medium-long-ascent, woody single-track heavy wet soil (ouch);
clean over barriers, (4)turns &upHill straightAway to start/finish ...passed (1)@barriers, group of (5) strung-out ahead as leader is announced passing start/finish;
pass 2more in woods then careen tangled into tape&fall, two pass me...ATTACKagain;
catch-up to group on descent @technical area; yo-yo next lap; w/two toGo can't tell where leader(s) are, move-up 2places;
...last lap, we begin to lap riders, pass&block, catch (4)on lead lap, one chasing close on-tail &two ahead, i run last barriers cleanly, (3)turns to finish, approach rider2(hold, hold-it, harry, clear thru right turn1) NOWgo, dive hard into left turn2, pass cleanly, race to right turn3(careful) NOW-attack into final left turn4&upHill out-of-saddle to finish...4s behind 1stPlace.
pleased &honestly surprised to be back @front; &on podium, 2ndStep, a goodDay in NC.
see you@Nationals
-harryB;-)
