Race Report: First UCI race of the season.

October 12, 2013 Colorado Cross Cup

Any excuse to travel to Boulder. And this time, I had many reasons. My best friends' 1st born! (Technically, I went hiking with him, he was in the womb). And two days of UCI Elite Cyclocross. Sadly, it was also the first races following Amy D.'s tragic death during a training ride. I felt sick the day I found out.

This also would be my first UCI races of the season, nothing like jumping in with the best in the country on their home turf. But, I think I raised a few eyebrows with my racing. Most of all, mine.

I pre-rode the Colorado Cross Cup course at the Res as the sun was setting behind the Flatirons. Amber warned me to watch out for goatheads. Not having every seen one, that proved difficult. And, I was ultimately unsuccessful. I took two or three pseudolaps or the freshly set course and managed to crash three times. I had enough and headed back to Amber and Eric's place on squishy tires. That night, Eric would help me seal both my front and back tires from the goathead punctures.

Taking an outside line on the first turn... I think that is called "Svenness"!
(Courtesy Mt. Moon Photography)

One of those 100 turns per lap.  To everything...
(Courtesy Mt. Moon Photography).

The race: I started on the back row of the UCI Elite Women's race. In pictures of the start (which I can not find just now; post a link if you've found one) you can see my helmet sticking up in the distance (one of these is taller than the others). I had a great start. I think there was a crash on the inside line just as we left the pavement that allowed me to propel myself into the top-20. I was instantly trying to breath out of my eyeballs as oxygen debt set-in.

But, I was having too much fun to let off the gas. The course had what felt like a 100 turns per lap, and with the dry, gritty conditions, contact between the tire tread and ground could not be taken for granted. I kept grinding, into the teens, then just out of the top-10. I could hear my name being cheered on so many parts of the course, as I crossed the line in 11th!

At the finish, I rolled in between two cars and threw-up my lunch, and then, I cracked a smile. What a blast of a race! My reward was an authentic Belgian Waffle (food truck cuisine!) and an UpSlope IPA!