CCCX XC Toro Park

[Jim Hewett]

I built my new Santa Cruz Highball carbon 29er hardtail and rode it Friday - very nice! - so I had to race the Toro Park CCCX XC race on Saturday to really give it a good break-in.  I was excited to do the Toro Park course, as I had a lot of fun on it the last time I raced there (2006?).  Pretty much a 15 minute 700+ft climb on a gradual fireroad with one steep section and then a ripping 5 minute bermed descent, then repeat.

There were some fast guys there.  Danny Macnaughton, Kevin Smallman, and Alex Wild were racing Pro class, but we would be starting with some fast Cat 1 guys, Krishna Dole, Michael Zannetti, and a roady named Collin Daws.  The race would be five laps and the weather was warm and sunny.

I sat in a bit on the first lap.  There was an early seperation on the climb and five or so of us put a little gap on the rest of the field.  Alex Wild (current series leader) was pushing the pace, with Kevin, Collin, a DC-10 rider and me in the group.  We rode along at a good pace until the steep climb, where Alex, Collin, the DC-10 rider and I pulled away from Kevin a little.  Just after this climb is the beginning of the descent, which does not provide many safe places to pass, so there was some sprinting to get there first.  The DC-10 rider made it, then Alex, Collin and me.  Alex wasn't descending so quickly, so the DC-10 rider put some time on us and Kevin closed the gap we had opened on the climb.  After we came through the finish area, I moved around to the front and we closed the distance to the DC-10 rider.  4 more laps to go.

We rode most of the climb together until the steep bit, where I kicked it in a little to get to the singletrack first.  This time I was able to fly down the fast and fun bit with no one in the way and Kevin not far behind.  When we began the third lap, Kevin and Collin and I were alone at the front.  We were keeping the pace high and I was seeing solid zone 5+ heart rates.  By the time we climbed and descended the third lap, Kevin and I had put a small gap on collin.  Kevin said that he knew Collin would be stong on the climb, so we stayed on the gas and tried to keep out of sight on the fireroad climb.  Collin was 30-60 seconds back and still charging, which kept the pressure on.  I put a little gap on Kevin on the steep climb, but he was able to close it as we descended the fourth lap.

Lap 5 was on and Kevin and I had gotten far enough away from Collin that it would be between us for first.  I had been leading for the last few laps and I kept the pressure on him.  2/3rds of the way up the climb I tested him with an attack and got a little gap.  I kept it up and increased it on the steep climb, this time entering the descent with a big enough gap that Kevin would not be able to close.  Now much more familiar with the downhill portion, I had fun and sprinted the short climbs, passing lapped traffic with little difficulty and coming in uncontested at the finish line.

First win on the Highball and first win in the new kit!

 

[Ryan Gibson]

Nice job Jim!!!

[Carl Sanders]

That is a fun course; being able to dial in your lines and strategize your attacks on each successive lap.

Nice work!