CCCX #2, Ft. Ord

[Jim Hewett]

I spent a few days riding and working in Ashland, OR last week.  Very cool place and great trails.  I drove home in one 6+ hour push Friday evening and figured I should head down to Ft. Ord on Saturday to do my first real 'cross race of 2011.

After a couple more hours in the car on Saturday morning, I arrived just in time to register and warm up a little before the 35+ A's race started.  I lined up with a group of 20 or so and we proceded to race CX.  The course was pretty cool, with logs to jump and a barrier just before a short sandy climb that was jumpable.  It seemed to have more climbing than most, which should have favored me.  Alex Work and Brock Dickie and I stayed off of the front for most of the race, with Brock doing a little more work yo-yoing off the back.  I didn't quite have the kick I wanted, possibly from all of the driving, and I just followed Alex for the most part.  Alex turned it on for the last lap and got out of sight, and I came in by myself for 2nd place.

Though I was definitely tired from the 35+ race, I took the opportunity to do the Elite race for only $10 more (second race of the day discount).  It seems like a long way to drive for a 50 minute race, so why not get another hour in?  I figured I could use the training and this is the class in which I want to be competitive this year.  There were about the same amount of guys, with a few known fast ones.  Andy Jacques Mayne is a name I am familiar with, and Scott Chapin is one of the fastest NorCal CX racers.  I lined up on the second row and started my second race of the day.

Things were going allright for a couple of laps, but then I found myself on the back of the front group of 6, playing catch-up on the corners and generally doing more work than I should have been.  Chapin and Jacques Mayne pulled away at some point, leaving a group of three around a minute ahead of me.  I could see them where the course came back together in many places, but ultimately I rode by myself for the remainder to finish in 6th place.  Not where I want to be, but more experience racing CX, which I definitely need.

I intend to be a little more rested for next weekend's Lion of Fairfax.  Got to represent at the hometown race!