"Nobody told me there'd be days like these..."
If you're looking for a traditional CX course, look no further.
Easily my worst performance of the 2017 CX season, Mansfield hollow is a true Cyclocross Course, which includes tight turns, off cambers, sand, loose dirt, a few rocks and multiple dismounts. The conditions were dry and dusty and it seems like we're having a repeat of the 2016 drought in MA and Eastern CT. There were 3 sets of barriers, plus a log that required dismounting.
I didn't have high expectations for Saturday's Masters 50 race, as I've mostly done the 40+ 4/5 races and the 50+ level of competition is higher. No familiar faces from MA teams. I could tell on the preview lap that the course would be challenging, lots of loose powdery dirt in the corners, a bunch of deep sand, a steep drop off and two steeper ascents (one of them I ran up every lap as it wasn't much faster to try and ride it)
The course favored good bike handlers and those that could maintain smooth transitions. I tended to get flustered in the corners especially when I hit the soft stuff and my bike didn't seem to want to go where I wanted it to. Aside from one 50 yard uphill grind and two longer straightways, there weren't really any places where I could use my fitness or hill climbing ability to gain an advantage.
The weather was warm and humid- by the end of the race the dust cloud of dirt melded into the sweat to make most of us look like Pigpen in peanuts... a portable shower would have been helpful at the end.
I might go back to Mansfield Hollow State Park, it looks like a nice place to ride, the area looks good for road riding as well.
Next up... GLOUCESTER
