2014 NVDC

[shiloh]

Coming into this years NVDC I'm in my normal decent racing shape.  So I got to the start line 10 minutes before the start and ended up squeezing in at the back of the pack. I was just gonna have to get past as many people as I could before the single track.  Off the line we were charging hard, no one wanted to give up any spots, I was out of breath quickly, and thought I might pass out at the run up.  I had a chance to catch my breath while drafting up at the airport, but I also was able to see about half the cat 1 field up ahead of me.  The choice was rest now and deal with traffic in the single track or charge now and hope to catch the front group.  I charged, and got by about 8 before the observatory and maybe another 2 before heading into the first bits of narrow. 

For the most part I was alone with no idea where I sat in the field as I hammered through the windy trails.  I passed one rider who took a wrong turn, I've missed that same quick right hand turn by mistake before. And another dude who had some mechanical issue.  I could hear a guy not far back hot on my wheels.  If I pretend he's an alien trying to catch and probe it keeps me riding fast. 

I got to do the entire descent unmolested.  On the first bit of climb back to the top I caught Ryan, who had had a mechanical, and lucky for me had a problem in the same spot last year.  Once I passed him I could see a group of three grunting there way up the steep rutted trail. 

I think my gearing forces me to ride faster up the steepest climbs.  I soon got past three more riders only to see another two not far ahead.  The climb mellowed out a bit and I just sat on their wheels no one wanted to make an attack too early.  We crested the climb and caught a third rider who quickly got left behind.  The road opened up into the meadow where I could see 2 more riders making there way home.  We left one behind, I think he was on a single speed, and the other hopped on our pace line.  There were four of us together as we hit the airport.  It was go time I didn't want to be in a sprint for the finish line.  The group of four quickly became two then I made my final pass down the run up section.  I dropped my post, took the inside line, and pedaled my ass off glad that no one caught me on the final loop to the finish. 

This would have been a great race to watch if we were a bunch of different colored dots blipping along a track projected on a jumbotron.  Anyway, I ended up second in my class and somewhere in the top 15 overall. Stoked.