Great showing for the team in our first race. Perfect racing weather and a really fun course.
Eight of us toed the line - it was clear that we had a big group when the Cat 2's lined up in the various age group.
Thanks to Chris P. for bringing the tent. Congrats to Oscar for taking 2nd for his group.
I missed the podium by 1 min. Doesn't help when you crash when you are trying to keep up. Settledfor a 4th.
I'll let others give their experience. I'll miss next weekend at Burlingame - have fun and crush it!!
Fat Tire Classic
Re: Fat Tire Classic
Sorry long report .....
Phenominal day. 60s and sun. Aside from two small mud pits, the course was dry and fast. Good mix of winding singletrack and double track. This was my first race of the season. After the San Diego trip, I too got the CratFlu, and then just as I was getting better I got a nasty cold. My lungs have been in a bad state for the last month, causing me to miss a bunch of road races. The morning of the race was the first morning I havent woke up coughing, so hey why not push them! I havent raced mtn bikes in many many years, so I decided to give the sport class a go to see if I can do well with hopes to go back to being an expert. I won this race back in 2005 after I downgraded to sport, so the plan was the do a repeat.
Winslow took us out for a warmup. Chris Pare gave me the run down of the start. So fun to be at the team tent, we have a pretty good sized off road team. I think Ive got my plan, go fast from the start. Easy.
I grab a front row right on the start line. I look back and see our other MRC'er Erik give him a nod. Im going for all in off the start. There is a half mile of fireroad then it hits a really steep incline that you need to use your smallest ring on. The guy calls out 15 seconds. Nerves running high. Then all I hear is a little kid to my left counting down 15,14,13....4,3,2,1. No whistle. Huh? That kid wasnt the official countdown. I think my heart rate is anaerobic at this point because of the adrenaline. Another couple seconds, the whistle blows. I sprinted off and drop the group fast. I hit the incline with a nice gap. But stupid me I didnt shift down enough and bog down barely turning over the pedals. A buddy of mine is on the side of the hill yelling at me to "pedal faster idiot you just lost your nice gap". No worries i knew people are pretty anerobic at the top of that incline so I punched it again and opened the gap right back up. Then looking back I wanted to open up a big enough gap but not blow up. First race back after being sick I was weary what my lungs would handle. Settled in a comfortable pace and just kept it turning.
About 3/4 lap in a guy in my field was catching me, but no on else was with him. Im thinking he's pretty good to be able to catch me, ill size him up and see where his weakness is. I pretend im out of breath and get on his wheel. He's fast on the single track but slow on the flat out fireroad sections. Im braking in every corner, ugh, my road miles are not doing my any favors in the winding singletrack. Now ive learned from Chris Pare I was running my tire psi way too high. We traded off pulling at the front.
On the second lap the guy went to get a gu from his pocket and slipped out of his pedals. Went right down on his top tube. Ouch! I asked if he was ok, he said yes. Then I rode off from him taking advantage of it. Haha! But he catches back up on the start of the third lap. At this point I know he caught me twice so hes got legs. We trade pulls thru the third lap. Then in the closing mile I settle in behind him again for the final singeltrack section. I know im faster than him on the fireroad so my plan was to follow him thru the singeltrack then lay it down to the finish.
We come up on catching a rider from the age group before us. He passes him. I get jambed behind him and yell to get around. I do and push to catch back up. Almost catch back up when we catch another rider. He manages to blast right around but I get jambed up again. At this point I see him stand and I could tell he was punching it. Im yelling at the rider, "leaders coming thru" "get over" "let me thru"!! I finally get around but at this point a large gap has opened up. Frustrated I may have just lost the race. I try to punch it to try to catch him. I see far up hes punching too. We get out on the fireroad and my plan was destroyed. I see him just up from me finishing. Thats where I lost my 20 seconds. I came in for second, frustrated but still pretty psyched. Lesson learned. We finished over 4 minutes from the 3rd place guy.
So pumped for more races in the dirt!
Phenominal day. 60s and sun. Aside from two small mud pits, the course was dry and fast. Good mix of winding singletrack and double track. This was my first race of the season. After the San Diego trip, I too got the CratFlu, and then just as I was getting better I got a nasty cold. My lungs have been in a bad state for the last month, causing me to miss a bunch of road races. The morning of the race was the first morning I havent woke up coughing, so hey why not push them! I havent raced mtn bikes in many many years, so I decided to give the sport class a go to see if I can do well with hopes to go back to being an expert. I won this race back in 2005 after I downgraded to sport, so the plan was the do a repeat.
Winslow took us out for a warmup. Chris Pare gave me the run down of the start. So fun to be at the team tent, we have a pretty good sized off road team. I think Ive got my plan, go fast from the start. Easy.
I grab a front row right on the start line. I look back and see our other MRC'er Erik give him a nod. Im going for all in off the start. There is a half mile of fireroad then it hits a really steep incline that you need to use your smallest ring on. The guy calls out 15 seconds. Nerves running high. Then all I hear is a little kid to my left counting down 15,14,13....4,3,2,1. No whistle. Huh? That kid wasnt the official countdown. I think my heart rate is anaerobic at this point because of the adrenaline. Another couple seconds, the whistle blows. I sprinted off and drop the group fast. I hit the incline with a nice gap. But stupid me I didnt shift down enough and bog down barely turning over the pedals. A buddy of mine is on the side of the hill yelling at me to "pedal faster idiot you just lost your nice gap". No worries i knew people are pretty anerobic at the top of that incline so I punched it again and opened the gap right back up. Then looking back I wanted to open up a big enough gap but not blow up. First race back after being sick I was weary what my lungs would handle. Settled in a comfortable pace and just kept it turning.
About 3/4 lap in a guy in my field was catching me, but no on else was with him. Im thinking he's pretty good to be able to catch me, ill size him up and see where his weakness is. I pretend im out of breath and get on his wheel. He's fast on the single track but slow on the flat out fireroad sections. Im braking in every corner, ugh, my road miles are not doing my any favors in the winding singletrack. Now ive learned from Chris Pare I was running my tire psi way too high. We traded off pulling at the front.
On the second lap the guy went to get a gu from his pocket and slipped out of his pedals. Went right down on his top tube. Ouch! I asked if he was ok, he said yes. Then I rode off from him taking advantage of it. Haha! But he catches back up on the start of the third lap. At this point I know he caught me twice so hes got legs. We trade pulls thru the third lap. Then in the closing mile I settle in behind him again for the final singeltrack section. I know im faster than him on the fireroad so my plan was to follow him thru the singeltrack then lay it down to the finish.
We come up on catching a rider from the age group before us. He passes him. I get jambed behind him and yell to get around. I do and push to catch back up. Almost catch back up when we catch another rider. He manages to blast right around but I get jambed up again. At this point I see him stand and I could tell he was punching it. Im yelling at the rider, "leaders coming thru" "get over" "let me thru"!! I finally get around but at this point a large gap has opened up. Frustrated I may have just lost the race. I try to punch it to try to catch him. I see far up hes punching too. We get out on the fireroad and my plan was destroyed. I see him just up from me finishing. Thats where I lost my 20 seconds. I came in for second, frustrated but still pretty psyched. Lesson learned. We finished over 4 minutes from the 3rd place guy.
So pumped for more races in the dirt!
Oscar
Re: Fat Tire Classic
Nice, congrats!
Re: Fat Tire Classic
For the "Mediocre millennial" race we had Cactus, Winslow and I. I was nervous and had no idea where I would stand, considering my previous longest effort on a MTB was a 12-13 minute enduro stage and I am known for bonking at around 45 minutes on almost every ride I have ever gone on. That morning I switched the flip chip on my 30lb "light enduro" bike to engage the steep, xc slaying 66.7 degree head tube angle, which I hoped would help. When I got to the race and saw Cactus had shaved a fu manchu stache, and I knew we had the most bad ass crew and it was game on, all nerves gone.
Winslow led us on a warm up lap, and halfway through we decided this was the easiest set of trails we had ever ridden and there was no point in riding the second half of the lap because it was sure to be easy. This turned out to be mostly true, except for a few mud bogs and one rock roller "a-line" that I missed on the first lap despite Pare's shouting "GO THAT WAY ITS FASTER!"
The race itself was pretty uneventful for me, I started near the back of the back but moved my way up to the top 12-15ish after the whole shot, and passed a few more riders to move up to 7th later in the first lap. I was right on the wheel of the guy in 6th (who ended up passing Winslow for 5th at the end of the race after WW's bridge debacle) for the first lap. He was way faster than me in the double track sections, but I was easily able to catch back up to him on the singletrack. Early in the second lap I saw him take a gel and I thought "Crap, am I supposed to eat during these things?" Maybe I should have because shortly after that he dropped me. For the rest of the race I kept seeing him and Winslow the smallest possible insurmountable distance ahead, and I never did catch them, so I ended up in seventh.
Overall, it was a fun day with a good crew. Looking forward to the next one, maybe Pare will finish that one.
Winslow led us on a warm up lap, and halfway through we decided this was the easiest set of trails we had ever ridden and there was no point in riding the second half of the lap because it was sure to be easy. This turned out to be mostly true, except for a few mud bogs and one rock roller "a-line" that I missed on the first lap despite Pare's shouting "GO THAT WAY ITS FASTER!"
The race itself was pretty uneventful for me, I started near the back of the back but moved my way up to the top 12-15ish after the whole shot, and passed a few more riders to move up to 7th later in the first lap. I was right on the wheel of the guy in 6th (who ended up passing Winslow for 5th at the end of the race after WW's bridge debacle) for the first lap. He was way faster than me in the double track sections, but I was easily able to catch back up to him on the singletrack. Early in the second lap I saw him take a gel and I thought "Crap, am I supposed to eat during these things?" Maybe I should have because shortly after that he dropped me. For the rest of the race I kept seeing him and Winslow the smallest possible insurmountable distance ahead, and I never did catch them, so I ended up in seventh.
Overall, it was a fun day with a good crew. Looking forward to the next one, maybe Pare will finish that one.
Re: Fat Tire Classic
I think it took me longer to read Oscars' report than it takes to actually complete a sport race. Nice podium though Osci! Upgrade so you can write longer reports.
Nice report Fowler, glad to have you on the team.
Nice report Fowler, glad to have you on the team.
-Chris Busick
