Shedd Park CX

[NCgaron]

So Shedd Park is just about as close as you can get to a hometown race for me a little under 20 minutes away. I registered for the 3/4 and I got there early so that I could watch the 40+ race. my first impression of the course was that it was going to be a fast course with very little rest... and it was. I got to see all of the 40+ race Chis and Doug both did well. The first time that the race went through the dusty off camber section off the course I happened to witness a master dab and brake his leg and that freaked me out a little but lets get to my race. I was staged mid pack so I wasn't expecting very much right out of the gate but I also wasn't expecting to have as bad of a start as I did but by the first hill I was already making up the ground that I had lost. after the chaotic up-hill off camber barriers I got into a group with PJ and Dan MCcabe we rode in the group for a while until PJ gaped us good move on his part because Dan falls.. a lot. I ended up with Dan stuck to my rear wheel as we moved father up into the group but a well planned attack by Dan on a hill put me into panic mode and I got a little too excited and almost blew up on the back straights. As we came onto the track the final time I was no match for Dan's watts on the smooth fast track. Overall a great race I was staged 46 and I ended up 26 so I think that this may be the sign of some good form..

[onegeardoug]

I toed the line in the second row of the M40+ race, with a good start number courtesy of better fitness that I apparently possessed earlier in the year. I didn't belong there, though, and I knew it. I started well, going 3 wide, elbow to elbow around the track and up the grassy hill the first time, but the strength and depth of the 40+ field was significant. I was sitting 10th or 15th for the first half lap, but quickly fell off the pace and did some major pack sliding on the second lap. By lap 3, I had found a good group of 4 other guys, none of which I knew. Someone yelled that we were in about 25th. Ouch. One of these guys had a number in the 50's...I was number 8. Double-ouch. I tried my best to hang on to these wheels, but they would gap me on the power sections, of which there were many. I was carving what few turns there were quite well, using speed through the turns to bridge back to this group after getting gapped on the power sections. Particularly on the soft switchbacks and the fast descent around the backstop and the 180 degree tree. So, I'd get back on for the wood chips, wreck myself to stay on the wheels all the way to the track but then fall off the pace on the track and up the hill into the grass. By the barriers, I'd be cooked, but looking to carve some turns and find the group again. I rode the last lap alone, and the end couldn't come soon enough. I finished 28th. Not the result I was looking for, but I honestly couldn't expect much better at this point of my season. Now the question is: what's next??

[pace21]

Last guy on the 2nd row, had a great start (finally!) and within a lap found myself in a lead group of 8-10. It seemed like we weren't going crazy hard (good) but whenever I looked back there was a healthy gap (better). We had about a cinder track sized lead when the officials informed us that the race was being neutralized until "after the gurney". It turns out someone broke their leg on the downhill switchbacks on the first lap. The second lap they had us ride around the carnage but the third lap they neutralized us. Unfortunately this let many guys catch back on and our lead group swelled to ~20. Then they surprised us and said "you're racing!" well before the crash site. It took a minute to sink in but i quickly found myself just off the back of the lead group. I chased and chased, I caught and passed people, but unfortunately the people I was passing were not part of my original group but rather they were guys graciously leaving me 5 second gaps to close in front of them. Worked my way back to 14th by the end of what turned out to be a very short, very hard race (only 36 minutes!)

[rusto]

Heard on twitter that the guy got a "compound, segmented fracture of the tib/fib meaning top and bottom broke. Open fracture so right into surgery."

Yeesh.

[pace21]

That would explain the panic on the race directors face when he was telling us to swing wide on lap 2. I hope he's alright (the rider that is. And the race director too I guess ....)

[JeremyC]

Now the question is: what's next?? :?:

Training for 2014 road season. Check your email

[swawersik]

Heard on twitter that the guy got a "compound, segmented fracture of the tib/fib meaning top and bottom broke. Open fracture so right into surgery."

Tib/fib would be both the back and front bones below the knee, not top and bottom. ANATOMY, BITCHES!!! (drops mike...)

[pace21]

Dr. W you should pick that mike back up off the ground and brush up on your English LOL

[PJ McQuade]

I missed my row 2 call up but woke up in time to grab an inside spot on row 3. I don't think the inside line is ideal on the track because I quickly got swarmed and entered the grassy climb deeper than planned. Then came the crashes. First a Landry's rider ate it on the roots directly in front of me giving me some tire to chew on (see Katie Busick's for the entertaining evidence). I lost a handful of spots there and a few more as I tried to clip in and get situated again. Next, the wheel in front of mine slides out on the loose dirt at the base of the run up (ride up), forcing me to dismount (drivetrain side). More spots relinquished. Next came the 180 tree section and I slipped out. I'm blaming my front clincher on this one. I spent lap 2 finding my rhythm and slowly began crawling my way back into action. I probably picked up 15 spots or so and snuck in the top 20, but disappointing day overall. The first lap was a killer. Between rolling a tubular at Putney last week (after being in 3rd place) and the crashes at Shedd I don't know what to expect in the last few races. Hopefully my luck will change, cause I've had worse luck than Smudger in 2013.
.

[swawersik]

Dr. W you should pick that mike back up off the ground and brush up on your English LOL

Anatomy mostly Latin is, English therefore matters does not.