Napa Valley Dirt Classic 2012

[Jim Hewett]

The Dirt Classic is always a big Spring race in NorCal.  A great course, great history and good attendance from local racers coincide with a pre-Sea Otter date.  Lots of people out trying to get one (or one more!) race in before Sea Otter.

I have done this race every year since I started racing.  Last year I finished off the podium, but I have placed 2nd, 3rd, and 4th in Pro class.  I usually try to come to this race fit and get the win, which works well as it easily falls into a 2 week fitness peak with Sea Otter and The Shasta Lemurian.  My training was on track this year, and I had come off of some recent local wins, but I knew the competition would be stiff once again.

Kevin Smallman, Tony Smith, Will curtis, Cody Kaiser, and Clint Claasen were likely contenders that I saw at the line.  Tony had a great race here last year, and Kevin came in ahead of me.  Will had a mechanical last year which took him out of contention.  Clint has never done the race and Cody was coming off of a very big 'cross season.  Though any one of these guys can win, it was good to see we were dealing with local talent;  none of the national pros that occasionally show up and put the hurt on us.  Noticeably absent was Aren Timmel, who has often won.

There had been rain during the week, but Saturday had been sunny and windy.  The course was muddy in places, but overall the conditions were quite good.  The temperature was 70deg at the race start and the day looked great for racing.

There was the usual hammering for position at the start as we climbed the pavement for the singletrack.  I went into it in 5th or 6th, but we soon turned left on a fireroad and I was able to move around a few guys.  We climbed to the run-up, which was very slick with clay, and remounted to start the flat fireroad jamming.  Tony and I were in the lead, and Michael Hosey was with us.  He was racing Pro Singlespeed on a rigid 29er with some stout gearing.  We slowed a little after a mile or so and were caught up by another group containing Will, Kevin, and a few more guys.  I tried to stay near the front, as I had been gapped in this area last year and hadn't been able make it up.  There was some type of course re-route, but we came back around to the observatory climb, where I got to the top behind Tony and Michael.  We all rode pretty much together until we approached the whoop-de-doos.  This is a dangerous place to be behind others, as crashes or stalls often occur, so I made it to the front to avoid any problems.  I heard some carnage behind me, but I didn't look back.  After the three big ones, I found Tony close behind and shortly Kevin, Michael, and another racer came by.  I was feeling pretty good at this point, happy with the fast-but-sustainable pace.  We hit some small climbs and I dropped the chain on one while trying to double shift.  Tony caught me as I dismounted to put my chain back on and mentioned something about a cramp in his leg.  He and I stayed within sight of the lead three and both agreed we could reel them in slowly.  We were joined by another racer and entered more singletrack.  I stayed in front, trying to slowly gain on the lead group but riding conservatively.  Most of the soil was great, but there were patches of mud and wet leaves in some of the corners and we had to ride through a bit of standing water.  We climbed and descended through the trees, and after a while I noticed that Tony had fallen out of sight.  As I got to some of the steeper climbing of this section, I slowly reconnected with the lead group of three.  Kevin was leading.  Michael was behind him and forced to dismount occasionally due to his 34x19 singlespeed gearing.  There was an unfamiliar rider between us who seemed to be struggling a little.

I have to tell you, I was encouraged by this scene.  I felt like I could hold back a little and stay with this group, reserving some power for the long climb out.  Could this be my chance?  It was too early to think about this, but the very real possibility was there.

We rode the singletrack and fireroads like this, the four of us pretty much together, all the way to the creek where the long climb starts.  Kevin rode up the first steep bit, Michael was forced to dismount, and I dabbed just at the top and lost about 4 seconds remounting.  I closed the gap to Kevin and Michael just as we hit another steep pitch.  This one took Michael out of the mix, but Kevin and I kept grinding upwards.  I often found myself in my easiest gear (26x32).  I attacked a little and got a small gap on Kevin, but I couldn't really make it stick on the next flat section.  I had beaten Kevin at a race the week before on some climbs, but I could tell he wasn't going to let that happen again without a fight.  We continued like this until we were back on the rolling fireroad.  No other racers were in sight.  It looked like the last 15 minutes would be the two of us slowly battling back to the airport, just like last year.  As we approached the sharp left turn that signalled the last section of the long climb out, Kevin took the lead.  Not long after he slowed and cursed his bike.  Some sort of mechanical problem had stopped him, so I came around and kept rolling, shouting some words of encouragement over my shoulder.  Shortly, I made the sharp left turn and started climbing again.  From here you can look down on the fireroad and I couldn't see anyone.  Though I was slightly disappointed that Kevin and I would not be finishing the race by seeing who could dig the deepest, I nonetheless pressed my advantage and rode in alone for my first Pro win at the Napa Dirt Classic.

 

 

[Ryan Gibson]

Great job as always Jim! Looking forward to seeing the team pics, and the proof of my 20'+ mud slip-n-slide adventure :)

[Carl Sanders]

That's gotta feel good!