ACME #3

[Wilson Perry]

     Leading up to this race it was a tough day at school with multiple teachers losing assignments I gave them, and then I had to find the assignments in a big stack a papers which was frustrating and made it so I had a little extra fire in me. Getting to the race I had to ride solo because the usual people who I ride to the race with where unavailable. Sebastian Dow was on a rest week, so the race intervened with his training plan, and Thomas Gibson had work. Riding to the race I could tell it was going to be a good day on the bike, sun was out and the wind was minimal. Pulling up to the top of the hill where the race starts my nerves started to kick in once again. Hearing the basting 80’s music and seeing races go by is a really fun way to spend a wednesday evening. I showed up at about 6:00 and the race started at 6:30 so I had a half hour to spin around talk to races and other pre-race stuff. There was a good showing of high school kids from redwood, and my teammate from San Marin James Karr was also there. Although, we were missing some or the high school superstars like Dylan Fryer, Sebastian Dow, and Otis Lions. Not having them there I thought I just might be able to pull off the win for the A Class under 35 men… Then I saw Philip Mooney. The chances that I could pull of a win against Phill where slim to none, so my race plan was to stick with Phil and Mark Gibson for as long as I could. Then they called the A class to the start line. The start line was really tight, having me and all the other high school kids at the start. There was also Phil and Mark in the front line. Phill realize that the start was way to tight and it wasn’t worth a posible pile up at the start so he moved to the second row. Realizing that it wasn’t right for Phill to be in the second line, because he’d probably win the race, I moved to the second line and let Phill take a spot in the front row. At the start of the race I was in third going on to the single track and the downhill. On the road uphill I was in a little pack with Mark Gibson and Phil Mooney. At the top of the hill Phill attacked and was gone and never to be seen again. Then I tried to stay on Marks wheel for as long as I could but he would eventually pull away in the first or second lap. After Mark left, Robert Raffo, a high school race from San Raphael was on my wheel for the second and third lap. I eventually was able to pull away from Robert and I was by myself for the fourth lap. By the fifth lap a fellow ACME racer Mark Ingwersen caught up to me. He was on my wheel for two laps and I was really nervous coming up to the last paved hill which usually decides the outcome of the race. I got to the hill and used all the gas I had and he didn’t pass me. I held my lead to the finish and ended up taking third overall and second in Open A class men 35u