Surf City Finals! No room for error...
Wow, this is a big one too. After wrapping up Sacramento, my next big goal was to hold onto my 3rd overall at Surf City. It's close. I have four points over 4th place Jordi Cortes, and 8 points over some other guy from Easton/Specialized, who missed the first race but placed 2nd in round 2. I've done the math, and Jordi must put at least four riders beteween he and I, or finish on the podium. The Easton Specialized guy has to do even better than that.
Of course I'm freaking out about this one. But I figure I'm relatively safe, Jordi has only beat me once, at Surf City #1 when I tossed my chain on the last lap. And that was 4th to my 6th. In our head-to-head matches I've always come out on top. Granite Point in Sac, I won and he got 8th after leading early in the first lap, before I took over. Surf City 2, I kindly passed him and that was that. No, I'm pretty sure I have him under control, and 3rd in the series is all but guaranteed.
Then, everything goes all wrong. First, this is a GP race, so it's a huge field full of random riders, including a few A's. But I get a callup, so I'm not too worried. Further complicating matters is the fact that we really can't pre-ride the course. That's a factor...part of my normal pre-race routine is doing anywhere from 4-6 laps for both technical practice and for warmup purposes. Not today. Although I guess it didn't help much at Surf City 2, when I rode through the course tape. Anyway...
My coach fortified my confidence, telling me that I'm ready, I'm strong and I have to believe, which I did. We also decided that I shouldn't make a big jump right at the start, but instead should hold back and attack later. Good idea in theory, but this was the wrong race for that. At the start, it was nothing but elbows, bar knocking and general pandimonium. Normally I'd quickly go to the front and avoid most of this, but today I found myself in the middle of it all, and crazy bastards started passing me, running me into the course tape, cutting me off and generally sending me backwards. Jordi, on the other hand, was pedaling off into the distance.
A couple times I'd try to pass one of the A's riders I know, like Mansur Nurralah or Isaias Job. I'd say "inside" but instead of making room they'd just squeeze me out. It sucked and it led to more lost places. So early in the first lap I found myself somewhere in the top 20 with Jordi in the top 3. I blew it. 3rd overall was lost.
Then I crashed on the day's trickiest off-camber corner. Not sure if someone drifted into me, or if I caught a pedal, or just slipped out, but whatever, when I got up my bars needed straightening, my brake hood was bent inward and I'd scored some good road rash, impressive since it was dirt that I crashed on. We were close to the pits (and my spare bike) but not that close, so I opted to ride a lap and get my spare bike next time around, if it was necessary. Turns out I decided to live with the inward bent brake lever for the duration of the race.
Now, from here, I have to say I'm proud of myself. I kept the pace up, even though I was both mentally and physically cooked from the awful first two laps and the fact that Jordi was up the road. But I knew it was important to keep going. Anything could still happnen. And despite the fact that the rest of the race didn't go great for me, I kept ahead of Granshaw, and late in the race, God Be Praised, I see Jordi up the road.
On the last lap, three riders catch me and sit in. The pressure is on...if they get around me, it'll be close...all Jordi has to do is pass another rider, or another rider can pass me, and it's all over. So I have to keep these guys at bay. One gets around me before the final run up. That's okay...it's just one and I may get him at the top anyway. Then my chain drops on the dismount. I put my bike down and pedal with my hand as I run up. The chain is back on at the top! Punch it, nearly catch that one guy at the line, and Jordi beats me by two placings...not enough.
3rd Overall. Nice sack of prizes. I get to stand on a podium with Samples, Mau, and Jordi. I remember to rear my Rock Lobster vest.
Bad ride, bad day, but still a good finish.
Wow, this is a big one too. After wrapping up Sacramento, my next big goal was to hold onto my 3rd overall at Surf City. It's close. I have four points over 4th place Jordi Cortes, and 8 points over some other guy from Easton/Specialized, who missed the first race but placed 2nd in round 2. I've done the math, and Jordi must put at least four riders beteween he and I, or finish on the podium. The Easton Specialized guy has to do even better than that.
Of course I'm freaking out about this one. But I figure I'm relatively safe, Jordi has only beat me once, at Surf City #1 when I tossed my chain on the last lap. And that was 4th to my 6th. In our head-to-head matches I've always come out on top. Granite Point in Sac, I won and he got 8th after leading early in the first lap, before I took over. Surf City 2, I kindly passed him and that was that. No, I'm pretty sure I have him under control, and 3rd in the series is all but guaranteed.
Then, everything goes all wrong. First, this is a GP race, so it's a huge field full of random riders, including a few A's. But I get a callup, so I'm not too worried. Further complicating matters is the fact that we really can't pre-ride the course. That's a factor...part of my normal pre-race routine is doing anywhere from 4-6 laps for both technical practice and for warmup purposes. Not today. Although I guess it didn't help much at Surf City 2, when I rode through the course tape. Anyway...
My coach fortified my confidence, telling me that I'm ready, I'm strong and I have to believe, which I did. We also decided that I shouldn't make a big jump right at the start, but instead should hold back and attack later. Good idea in theory, but this was the wrong race for that. At the start, it was nothing but elbows, bar knocking and general pandimonium. Normally I'd quickly go to the front and avoid most of this, but today I found myself in the middle of it all, and crazy bastards started passing me, running me into the course tape, cutting me off and generally sending me backwards. Jordi, on the other hand, was pedaling off into the distance.
A couple times I'd try to pass one of the A's riders I know, like Mansur Nurralah or Isaias Job. I'd say "inside" but instead of making room they'd just squeeze me out. It sucked and it led to more lost places. So early in the first lap I found myself somewhere in the top 20 with Jordi in the top 3. I blew it. 3rd overall was lost.
Then I crashed on the day's trickiest off-camber corner. Not sure if someone drifted into me, or if I caught a pedal, or just slipped out, but whatever, when I got up my bars needed straightening, my brake hood was bent inward and I'd scored some good road rash, impressive since it was dirt that I crashed on. We were close to the pits (and my spare bike) but not that close, so I opted to ride a lap and get my spare bike next time around, if it was necessary. Turns out I decided to live with the inward bent brake lever for the duration of the race.
Now, from here, I have to say I'm proud of myself. I kept the pace up, even though I was both mentally and physically cooked from the awful first two laps and the fact that Jordi was up the road. But I knew it was important to keep going. Anything could still happnen. And despite the fact that the rest of the race didn't go great for me, I kept ahead of Granshaw, and late in the race, God Be Praised, I see Jordi up the road.
On the last lap, three riders catch me and sit in. The pressure is on...if they get around me, it'll be close...all Jordi has to do is pass another rider, or another rider can pass me, and it's all over. So I have to keep these guys at bay. One gets around me before the final run up. That's okay...it's just one and I may get him at the top anyway. Then my chain drops on the dismount. I put my bike down and pedal with my hand as I run up. The chain is back on at the top! Punch it, nearly catch that one guy at the line, and Jordi beats me by two placings...not enough.
3rd Overall. Nice sack of prizes. I get to stand on a podium with Samples, Mau, and Jordi. I remember to rear my Rock Lobster vest.
Bad ride, bad day, but still a good finish.
posted by the seamus at 12:11 PM
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