Cross on the Rock 2009 - Race #2 Kona Cup

[Roland]

Here is my belated race report from Sunday's cyclocross race in Duncan.

I was the only easter bunny to show up to the race, so in protest I wore my slackers kit instead. Next race is Oct 18th in Duncan, hopefully more than one person for our club will show up.

Due to my finishing position last race, I got the 3rd callup in a field of 27. Important since it was a 400 meter road start that went into a gravel single track switch back climb.

I sprinted hard from the gun, easily taking the lead. I looked back, I had opened about a 3 bike length gap on the pack, so I sat up a bit. It was about a 2% climb or so, and nobody wanted to come around me, so I lead the pack into the single track. I made it around the first switch back but took the second too tight, so I jumped of my bike and ran the rest of the climb. One rider got past me. I remounted at the top of the climb and continued in 2nd place as it transitioned into very dry dirt. I went down on a loose corner, allowing another 2 or 3 rides past.

On the next corner, one of the riders that past me went down in front of me. I had no time to react, running into him. I went over the bars but landed on my feet. I grabbed my bike and continued. I'm guessing another 5 riders got past me. My right brifter was bent inwards and my bar end shifter was broken. I got going again, tried to settle down to undue the damager of the first 2 minutes of racing.

I tried to find my rhythm, to slowly pick off those I had let past me. Coming through the sand on the 2nd lap I heard the announcer yelling about a beer prime. The spectators were yelling "go for the beer!!!" There were a few racers fairly close behind, but the could catch me, I ran through the sand, remounted and sprinted for the line. Both arms up in the air! I'd just won a 6 pack.

Not too much time to celebrate, back to business. I didn't let myself recover on the road section, I pushed hard to close gaps. I pushed it too hard coming off the road coming onto the gravel and went down again. That one hurt, but I pushed on.

The was 6 laps. And they were hard laps. Road, up switchbacks. Dry dusty single track. Up another climb and then straight back down a dusty decent with a tree at the bottom. Through the sand, up a flight of 45 stairs and back down and through the sand. Repeat. No time to rest or recover.

By lap 5 I'd worked myself back up to 4th place. 1st, 2nd & 3rd were nowhere to be seen, so I just needed to hold on. Chris Dickinson had bridge up to me dragging on or two others with him, but they quickly dropped back as Chris attacked me. On the road section again I let him past, he didn't want me drafting him. He zigged, he zagged, but I wasn't going to do the work. He couldn't afford to sit up, so I let him work until we hit the single track again. At the top of the switch back climb he opened a 3 meter gap and I just couldn't close it. For the last lap, I watched the gap grow. Nothing I could do.

I finished 5th, 32 seconds back from Chris and 10 seconds ahead of a quickly charging 6th & 7th.

I headed for first aid and got cleaned up. While it is euro, I can no longer recommend racing 'cross without gloves. Especially on courses with gravel.

I checked out my bike next, it didn't fair so well. One broken shifter and a large dent in the chain stay. The frame is out of alignment, 3 months old, raced twice and now it's basically garbage.

I'm happy with 5th & a case of beer considering how I rode. Once again, a few dumb mistakes early on in the race cost me a lot of time and a few positions.

I've gotten mixed opinions on my frame from "don't ride it" to "you may as well ride it until it fails."

Katie raced as well, I'll let her report on her race.



Haven't seen any photos of my race yet, but I took some of the other races:
Masters & Women: http://photos.rabien.com/Cyclocross/Bow" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false ... 6359_iMgaD
Expert: http://photos.rabien.com/Cyclocross/Bow" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false ... 8032_HL498
Sand Pit Challenge: http://photos.rabien.com/Cyclocross/Bow" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false ... 0395_MyKE2

Full results:
Race #2 Intermediate Men (6 Laps)
1. Dylan Tremblay (Oak Bay Bikes-Nanaimo) 0:40:40
2. James Cameron (Pro City Racing) 2:16
3. Guy Gensey (Russ Hayes) 4:01
4. Chris Dickinson (Oak Bay Bikes-Victoria) 4:18
5. Roland Rabien (Triple Shot) 4:50
6. Jordan Duncan (Kona Grassroots) 5:00
7. Kevin Knock (Everti ) 5:00
8. Shephard Stewart (Oak Bay Bikes Nanaimo) 5:10
9. Michael Briton 5:23
10. Matt Dilay (IRC-Cameron Law) 5:36
11. Morgan Harker 7:16
12. Dave Shishkoff (Organic Athlete) 7:28
13. Chris George (PT Performance Training) 7:37
14. Erik Madson 7:50
15. Haldor Dunnarsson (Riders Cycle) 8:59
16. Shayne Alexander (Riders Cycle) -1 Lap
17. Gary Croome (Frontrunners) -1 Lap
18. Mark Wieler (AMC) -1 Lap
19. Mike Sevcov (Everti ) -1 Lap
20. Mark Power (Fig Rolls Racing) -1 Lap
21. Ian MacLeod (Frontrunners) -1 Lap
22. Paul Kane -1 Lap
23. Derek Proitt -1 Lap
24. Spencer Burns -1 Lap
25. Derek Steel (Arrowsmith MTB Club) -1 Lap
26. Patrick Burnham (Oak Bay Bikes Nanaimo) -1 Lap
27. Aaron Grant (Penticton) -1 Lap

[Rolf]

My heartrate picked up significantly just reading your post, Roland.

I now feel even worse for having led the hapless B ride on a couple of dodgy detours and double-backs this morning. (We were trying to avoid the paving, but I hadn't read Al's very helpful post from yesterday.) Those twin burnmarks on my back must be from Katie's laser-eyes after throwing a couple of unanticipated and unnecessary hills at her psychocrossed legs.

From the condition of your bike I'm starting to wonder why the local bike shops aren't out there aggressively promoting this sport.

[Josh.E]

YEAH SLACKERS!!!!

josh

[Katie]

I raced in the Open Women's category, which starts 30 seconds after the Master's Men. There were 11 women on the start line, and 17 Masters Men.

The Open Women's category has quite a range of abilities, including some really fast racers. My plan was to pace myself off my heartrate monitor (when you only have 10 competitors, its usually just a wacky timetrial), focus on good lines and maintaining speed through as many course feature as possible, and make smart choices to minimize lost time.

I don't really remember much of what happened in the race. I don't remember how many laps I did or what happened on any particular lap. I remember trying to glace at my heartrate monitor every once in a while; I remember being completely convinced I had a flat on the last lap eventhough I didn't (that was a waste of time); and I remember some guy trying to pass in a really dumb place, hearing him crash, then hearing everyone cheer and yell at me to not let him by. I remember that being quite funny.

I remember the race as a string of obstacles:
- pavement: yeah! - ugh. why's this so slow?
- switchbacks: crap "run!" push
- singletrack: get speed - hey this isn't so bad!
- big tree root & rut: line! foot down, go!
- more singletrack: more speed - hey this isn't so bad!
- grass corners: don't brake! carry speed!
- sand pit: ugh. just get through it
- remount: crap wrong side of bike. crap wrong gear.
- more grass corners: power, find speed, sooo tired
- sketchy dirt downhill with tree at bottom: yikes yikes yikes yikes yikes - hey that was fun!
- more grass corners: don't think about the stairs. don't think about the stairs.
- stairs: STOP YELLING AT ME TO HUSTLE!
- big grass downhill: let'er run! no brakes! Weeeeeeeeeeeeee! why isn't there more of that?
- sand pit: stupid sand.
- remount: wow, why'd that go so well?
repeat a whole bunch of times.

I remember it getting easier on each lap eventhough my legs & lungs were becoming increasingly uncooperative. I still finished last, but for the first time I felt like I have something to build on. Now I just need to get about 50% faster.

[JohnT]

Well done Roland and nice report. Reminds me of XC racing from years ago. I also rode (once) without full gloves. Don't do it. If the cuts and scraps don't get you, the under-the-nail pieces of wood will. Nice legs, shame about the bike.

JT