While I was not at a “big” UCI race or World Cup this weekend, I was at the weekend’s largest ‘cross race on the planet. Every Cross Crusade race, of course, is the world’s biggest on any given day. A disappointing turnout of 1,200 racers ‘crossed at Rainier, OR yesterday. Among them was Matson, placing sweet 16th in the Bs. Of course, his pit guy–your’s truly–was nowhere to be found when he flatted. But don’t worry: my mechanic returned the favor when I, too, flatted w/ a half lap to go in my race.
I had been winning. Inside of two to go, I noticed some rubbing on my front end, and not the good kind, if you know what I mean. My Challenge clincher had develoed an unsightly anuerysm: the bead was inexplicably separating from the casing, and so the sidewall of the tire was dragging on my brake pad. I admit I didn’t think to unhook my brake: usually I’m clever like that. I also knew Matson was not to be found in the pit: I’d seen him eating frites and drinking what I thought was Pepsi but was probably a different breed of carbonated beverage. Plus, I’d let him down earlier, so now was payback time. There was little time left in the race, just less than a lap by the time I’d get to pit #1. I figured that a self-pit would give me a sure 2nd, but I wanted to win, confident I was the day’s strongest rider. So I prayed the tire would hold. Instead, it blew about nine inches after I left the pit. Thanks, Allah. I rode that flat front clincher rough, trying to punish my rim into every shrap edge I could find just for good measure. I nearly held off all chasers, but–given the fast and dry course–the gaps were not large at about a minute. I ultimately faded a few spots.
I was–as usual at local events–on my D bike, my trainer. What do I expect from a machine with one broken STI lever, a rear wheel so out of true it doesn’t clear the pads, nearly wornout clinchers, and a needle-sharp 39t chainring driven by a last year’s chain? More, that’s what! Anyway, I was lucky at Ohio the previous weekend. There at Saturday’s C2 race, I flatted my rear race tubular mere minutes before the start. I was able to grab Wicks’ spare tub, but it was in bad shape. Still, it held air and was better than a clincher. Even though that thing developed a huge aneurysm by lap 2, it limped across the line for me. Still, I couldn’t trust it for the C1 event on Sunday, so I swapped it for my above-mentioned rear clincher. It finished on a slow leak thanks to a half-inch long thorn, but it didn’t cost me anything.
This race marked the second Cross Crusade victory I’ve handed to my friendly competitor Jason Sager. (Had Trebon not screwed it up for the both of us at Cross Crusade #1 at Alpenrose Dairy, I would’ve managed it. Now I can rib Ryan for fouling-up a race for me–a rare thing. It’s worth more than the win!) At least I’m not alone: Chris Sheppard did the same thing to himself at Cross Crusade #2, delivering Mr. Sager the win there, too. But I’ll say this: Jason’s riding really well, always at the front, creating his own good luck. We were an even match yesterday, so he deserved it just as much as I. The sad thing was how anti-climatic it all was: it would’ve been another cool finish. I could’ve actually won that “sprint”–the top speed would’ve been safely under 20mph for me!
Sean Babcock, our young Sellwood Cycle Repair/Team S&M rider and employee and future Kona factory pro, was the only other able to follow the pace. He stayed with us until two to go and finished 2nd on the day, passing me and my front wheel close to the line. He rode well in Ohio, too: on Saturday he went from last rider called to the line to 12th, and on Sunday he was doing the same thing until he broke his seatpost in two. It’s not super easy to pass fifty guys on fast, dry courses two days in a row, but he did.
My wife Rhonda Mazza’s day ended like mine. The race came down to her and the wonderful Wendy Williams. I liked Rhonda’s chances: a huge on-the-bike climb (for a ‘cross course) led to the finish line, and she’s a terrific sprint finisher. But she took herself out on the last barrier section, tripping on one and falling forward into the next. She smashed her STI lever into the wood–I still haven’t removed all the splinters from it. Worse, she smashed her face into the handlebar, leaving her not only with a bloody nose but a blood-stained body and bike. She easily held onto second. She admitted that her fitness and skills have a way to go still: even though it was looking like she would win, she said the accident happened because she was rusty and on the rivot, a bad combination. She’s well on her way back to great form after skipping last year. I’m still a bit worried about her because she’s had bad crashes three weeks in a row now. I don’t want her and her bike to take anymore bruises.
It was cool to see so many S&M riders “on the podium” in their own categories. Mad Iron Mike Lilienthal–the shop’s newest employee, and an Iowan–made good on his promise to smash the B field and one Andre Pinter along with them. Audrey Brown was 3rd in the women’s B field, and Aaron Leritz won the Masters B. I noticed a lot of shop customers killing it, too. Of course, lots of our riders and customers were off the back–and that’s good because we need to have the whole course secured, you know. Most important, Jeremiah and Matt cease-fired their trash-talking and made it a shared goal to just finish on the lead lap in the A race: they’ll worry about each other next time!
The whole UCI-race thing is tough to take. Sure, I admit the competition is good at many of them, especially like last weekend’s races in Ohio and Gloucester, Mass. While I don’t have to dig deep to be at the front of Cross Crusade races, it was all I could do to make the front group each day in Ohio, and I was never able to stick it. I always had to ride at the front of the second group, racing for 6th or whatever. When a handful of top national caliber riders are present, especially on a course that’s dry and fast, it’s harder. Period. Still, most of these UCI events pale in comparison to an average ‘Cross Crusade event: they just don’t offer the overall experience.
Thanks for reading.
–Erik
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