Shasta Lemurian 2010

[Jim Hewett]

The Lemurian was to be the last race in my first grouping of priority races. Napa was an okay finish, but Sea Otter was a mechanical DNF. This was my last chance in this peak fitness period to get a good result. Last year I finished 4th overall and 3rd in pro class with a 2:12:38 finish time. This year I wanted to do it in 2:10, hopefully moving up a couple of spots.
I figured Tim Olsen would be a good bet to win this one. He has often placed well at this race and made a conscious effort to pre-ride the course many times this spring. Unexpectedly, Aren Timmel was not a factor last year. I knew he was riding strong and that could well be different this year. Rich Thurman knows the course well and beat me by seconds in 2009. Kevin Smallman was coming up to do the race for the first time and he is very fit right now. At the start I recognized Aaron Bradford and saw a French Look pro that had come out. It was going to be a race!
The mass start was very easy compared to a national race, and we were able to slowly separate. The real battle started when we made the hard left to climb the first steep, sustained gravel roads. Tim, Frenchie, Aaron, and Aren slowly pulled away. I watched the HRM and kept from going too deep into the red. Smallman and Chris Brown (welcome back!) were pretty close to me. We climbed within sight of each other until the top of the steepness, then separated a little more on the rollers that took us to the gravel road descent. The lead four were out of sight, but Smallman and Mr. Brown were within sight behind me as we started down.
The steep and winding road can be pretty treacherous at race speeds. I locked up the rear and slid out on a particularly loose and fast corner. Immediately my two pursuers were around me. I jumped back on and tried to assess the damage as I continued down the hill. I had dropped my gu flask and I was bleeding from my left forearm and leg, but that was the least of it. The handlebar had swung around in the accident and the lever had hit the top tube. I usually try to keep the lever clamps loose enough that they will turn rather than break, but the XX lever clamp design has a little play unless it is tightened a bit more. The result was a broken front brake lever clamp that spun on the handlebar. As I careened down the hill, I quickly figured out that I could pretty much use the front brake if I held tension on the lever and used another finger to keep it from dropping. It got me down and to the flat pavement section over the dam, where I pedalled hard to reconnect with Smallman and Mr. Brown.
We were less than half an hour into a 2 hour plus race with a lot more relatively tough terrain. I was discouraged, but I made the decision to give it my best. As long as the lever clamp didn't break completely off, I still had some front brake power, though the amount of focus involved with using it was very distracting. I rode the singletrack flume trails at a decent pace, staying with the other two racers, but it cost a bit more energy than I would have liked. We passed Timmel fixing a flat. He had dropped from 3rd to 7th with a bit of his own bad luck. I screwed up a short but very steep, loose climb and Smallman and Mr. Brown opened a little gap. We were into more flume trails and I was not flowing like I would have liked. I could hear brakes behind me and Timmel came by charging very hard.
After that I rode by myself for a while. I was not feeling very strong on the climbs, and obviously a little weak on the descents, but I kept moving forward. This course is tough right up to the end, and often those that start fast don't finish so strong. I tried to keep an even pace and reel in one of the 6 racers in front of me, but I was overtaken by Thurman and another Team Chico rider around the steep pine needle singletrack climb.
I tried to endure the climbs and enjoy the singletrack as best I could for the next half hour. As I started one of the last fire road climbs, I was surprised to see Smallman ahead, and the Team Chico rider just ahead of him. I dug deep to catch Kevin before we dropped into singletrack again, but the other racer stayed ahead. I kept just ahead of Kevin until we reached the last steep uphill before a paved descent and the short singletrack to the finish. I stood up to hammer the climb as I saw Team Chico at the top. Kevin also gave a strong push and almost came around me at the top, but the finishing order had already been settled. I came in 8th overall, about 5 minutes slower than last year. I looked down to see my lever hanging from the hose, completely detached from the handlebar. At least its over!