Awesome Jill! Congrats on your win!

so.much.awesome!!!

Thanks, guys!  It was a hot one out there.  I'll write a recap soon.  

JillWhite said:

Thanks, guys!  It was a hot one out there.  I'll write a recap soon.  

Looking forward to it.

But do it on the Marty Cross thread.

^stellar podium-sock game too!

photos by Bryce McNitt
You, reading this. You would have loved it. I missed you. Honestly.

DCCX Day 1.

• Bertucco staged 1st row, I'm staged 3rd row
  
• One of the Squaddra Coppi dudes asks if we came from NYC to school them
• I laugh it off --- "No way, the other way around" -- but duh
• Awful start, too light of a gear, not great clipping in, get swarmed (blah, blah, blah)
• keep it together, settle, deal with traffic and a ton of messy busy corners
• pass pass pass
• I let it rip on the straightaways, trying to be mindful of the many boogey trapped corners
• End un racing a group of 4 or 5 guys, including Spike Mclaughlin.
• I hear "Eloy" on a couple of spots, but Spikey..., Spikey, he got friends, and they are rooting and screaming for him everywhere!
• Feel like I am the strongest of the group, basically leading them around the course
• but yup, I get booty/boogey trapped in the dustiest corner in the world, foot down, get passed by all five. Eloy, dude, ugh!
• push push push, push push push, c'mon, c'mon
• catch back to them... but, ugh, now they have the advantage
• finagle my way to middle of the group 
• one to go, one to go, ooooonee to goooo!!
• group is splitting, Spikey still on my wheel
• while putting him in the red anytime I pedal, he is frustrated I wont let him pass... 
• He lets out a "c'mon man!" in the tightest off camber dusty corner in the world, his front knobs barely touching my rear wheel
• My response is to pedal
• I think, "Good luck passing me, spikey, mutherfuck*r!" luckily, my breathing doesn't let me say it
• As we approach the line, we catch Keith Kaetzel, who then opens a totally unexpected hardcore sprint!!
• I go channeling Caleb!!
  
• click click click click, push push push and oustprint Kevin to the line!!
• Spikey will finish about 6 seconds behind
• Pass the line, I get some news: About 2:30 minutes ago Mark Bertucco WON the race.
• Pass the line, Spike and I are now Best.Friends.Forever.
• DCCX IS SO MUCH EVERYTHING CYCLOCROSS. SO MUCH FLOW. SO MUCH DUST. 
• SO.MUCH.AWESOME.FUN.
• You reading this, I missed you.
• I proceed to eat all the apple grilled cheese sandwiches in DC, a ton of amazing tacos, and later put my legs up in a fancy hotel 50 yards from the Capitol building.
• Eventually, I'll get a TP new hr threshold email.

Let's go race bikes.

(photos by me, duh)
.

Me, reading this^

If people want to find lap times for cyclocross races timed by Tom Mains and his crew, he has all the info up here:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B3TjCqJ4ju71T1hKWkpjNThfXzg

DCCX day 2.

• Day 1 was good, but I know what I can do better...
• Start solid
• Go hard first lap, no gaps
• Flow this thing, zero foot down corner whateverness
• 5 more spots
• Basically, and somewhat clumsily, executed on of all them.
• Had a great 2nd lap too
• There's a bit of a group for a moment, but with 3 to go it is just Jim Wiedhahn and me
• Jim rides well and smart, leaning on his strengths and mine. Kinda awesome.
• He is clearly a better sprinter/fast twitcher, catching or passing me by attacking any little rise, and then letting me tru the more flowwy pedal sections
• I attack those sections and can open small gaps, but I have my work cut out
• He rides for Team Kinetic, they have a tent by a quick asphalt section..., I understand they are rooting for him, but the positive vibes, racket, and noise they make when we ride by is just amazing and everything awesome!
• I punch the last lap hard, but he'll finish half a wheel ahead, collapsing in the grass past the line, another forever friend.
• Still, best flow and maybe my best ride of the season so far.
• So much stupid hard fun.
• While it is still obvious what needs to improve, this is how I should race bikes.
• Later, Jess and I find the best arepas and empanadas in the universe, omg, DC, I love you.
  

So of course I'm last minute to lock this down, but I'm looking to do my first Cx race of the year. Anyone racing this Saturday (Nov. 4) with extra car space for another rider? I see Apple Cross in Califon, NJ and Cheshire Cross in Cheshire, CT. Anyone headed there or somewhere else?

I'm going to Apple, not sure how I'm getting there yet

@Brendan Rigby , yeah I looked into training there, but that train line doesn't run fully to High Bridge on the weekend, which is the closest stop. 

Cyclocross coming up this week.

Both these are about 40~50 from NYC:

Saturday, Apple Cross -- Looks like a ton of NYers will be here. Should be a blast.
https://www.bikereg.com/tmb-apple-cross

Sunday, SSCX -- Totally one of my favorite courses. It is a world class venue, with climbing, sand pits, barns, ton of torture and fun...
https://www.bikereg.com/sccx

Other possibilities, both on Saturday:

Cheshire, CT
https://www.bikereg.com/cheshirecross2017

Fair Hill. Have raced here a few times, great fast flatish course. Last of the 2017 MAC
https://www.bikereg.com/first-state-velo-sport-xross-fair-hill

I'll be taking a break this weekend. But you, you should go race bikes! let's go race bikes!

Hey!  I got my Cat 3 upgrade today.  I had enough points and a win, so I thought I may as well.  Most of the races are W3/4/5, so it doesn't really matter anyway unless I had wanted to drive up to Syracuse and contest the W4 state champ.  

Congrats!!

Long shot - anyone thinking Apple Cross this weekend?  I would be racing at 1PM.  Looking for a ride.  Willing to split a rental, tolls, and gas as always!

I’m skipping this CX weekend and am heading to Northampton the following weekend. NoHo is the second stop on the Vittoria series and an awesome venue with a great town and vibe. I have space in my car and a Hampton Inn reserved if anyone is interested. Only caveats is that I leave Friday afternoon/evening and have to head home relatively early (11ish) Sunday. Let me know if interested 

AnthonyOtt said:

Long shot - anyone thinking Apple Cross this weekend?  I would be racing at 1PM.  Looking for a ride.  Willing to split a rental, tolls, and gas as always!

I'm registered and race at 2pm-ish.  You can ride with me.

I'll be a monkeys uncle...I jumped barriers with Pat tonight...the gravitas...just the gravitas

While Yack’s barrier technique is unorthodox, it not only works for him (he is built like a linebacker rather than Froome) but also works for his bike which weighs as heavy as a boulder. I tried barrier hopping on his bike the traditional way and it nearly pulled my arm out of its socket. Maybe I’m exaggerating a little bit... or maybe a lot. 

Coming up this week.

NoHo CSI.

Has it own forum thread -- checkout reports, photos, etc... Patrick and I should be there. Oldest UCI race in the US, best New England cyclocross course.

http://www.nohocx.com/registration

Bubble Cross

Ton of kissenas already signed up. Should be awesome hotness, can't wait for reports!

https://www.bikereg.com/bubblecross

Others
Sly Fox Cross in PA, Saturday.
https://www.bikereg.com/sfcx
Victory Cross also in PA, Sunday.
https://www.bikereg.com/victory-cross--pacx

Let's go race bikes!

piggy bank gonna get smashed soon...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnlxLm5d24o

@twoyackssign up for Supercross Cup. The Category 3 Race is at 12:45pm, both days. Pick one:

https://www.bikereg.com/35976

There will be people there riding Giant cyclocross bikes, some of them your teammates.

Come race bikes and then volunteer to help your team put on the best race. 

There are rumors that Jeremy Powers is having heart problems following the Pan Am race.

Not rumors. He posted about it, with screenshots:
https://www.facebook.com/JeremyPowers/posts/1668475819884890

^ I got to 201 trying to stay with climbers as an U23 (FTP around 180bpm back then). Had to pull off the road for a few minutes and endure just the worst feeling of overclocked ever. Four minutes of that!? Holy crapoly.

https://www.bikereg.com/raineyparkcross

Supposedly this Sunday but permit is still pending. Online reg (if it goes through) opens 11/11

If true. I need a sadness button, as I will be in NoHo.

It looks good
https://www.bikereg.com/raineyparkcross