The picture says it all... Giant mud puddles, foreboding skies, flat and fast racing at the Willamette Valley Cross Series #3 and the Oregon State Cyclocross State Champs.
I thought I would get lucky on this one. While I was loading the car, the skies were clear. I wasn't even wearing a jacket. And my last thought was, I should "probably" put the water proof jacket and the rubber boots into the trunk. Yep... I would need 'em.
I arrived early enough at the Oregon State Fair Grounds to watch the the Men's Bs and juniors race. The coals were hot and dead meat was simmering on the grill in no time. And then the sprinkles started. Then the rain picked up. Then the wind started whipping around. And then it was time for my race.
I had pre-ridden the course, so I knew what I was in for: riding in and out of stock buildings to provide some relief from the rain/wind, a deep sand pit that required a timely dismount and run-through, muddy 180° turns, loose sawdust, a gravel patch, and the piece de resistance... the indoor BMX track. And mud.
Lots of mud to be exact. Serena Bishop, the leader on the first lap, went down in it on a turn and promptly dropped a few places. I nearly slid out so many times, I lost count. The worst bit turned out to be the entrance/exit of the sand pit. The sand was so deep and heavy that your feet were lost in it. The pavement after the pit was a slippery mix of sand and rain that turned the remount into a cartoon-ish version of someone running on marbles.
I lost some time at the start of the race because of a crappy line in a mud pit. Within half a lap I was firmly in third, chasing 1-2 (Serena and Alalia Berry of Gentle Lovers) about 40 seconds ahead of me. Each lap I kept carving out more of their lead, especially on the straight-into-the-wind sections where they slowed, jockey-ing for position. It looked like they weren't working very well together on the straights, with Serena in front most of the time. She would later tell me that they could "feel" me getting closer on each lap. I am intimidating that way.
Eventually I caught them (with tremendous cost to my poor legs). And for a brief time, I pulled ahead. But they both had the advantage of knowing on which sections you could gap a rider (I had done almost the whole course solo). And Serena made a brilliant move just before the sand pit that put her firmly in first place. I was forced wide on the gravel section (into a terrible line) by Alalia cutting the corner on me. And so in the end, my chase was for naught as I finished in third. Though I did provide some excitement for the spectators with my chase and catch!
Big muchos gracias to my team (for cheering) and Felt... Pacific Power/Blue Sky Team purchased some Felt bikes to encourage more women and juniors into cyclocross this year. One just happens to be my size and the newer model of my Felt F1X, the F75X. So, I got to dirty up a bright and shiny clean white bike (check it out below)! The geometry was identical to mine, but slightly lighter. The result was that I got to really throw this bike around in the mud on the course! Excellent.
Results: ended up third in the state among Women's A, second in the WV series, and a podium cameo on Velonews.com!
Way to compete! Great photos, you look fabulous dirty! ;)
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