KTR Double Cross

Michigan. Wow, hot and dry condititons both Saturday and Sunday. Saturday was in the 80's and Sunday was cooler and in the 70's, very nice actually. Lots of rolled tubies, flats, crashes and fast speeds. Great course. 2 miles in length on Saturday and a couple clicks more on Sunday. They changed the course slightly on Sunday, which I liked better.

Saturday was a dismal day though for Tony and me. Tony raced the 2-3 race, he was in a 3 man break for 1,2,3 that had formed on the 2nd of 5 laps. He was riding very strong and was leading the break when he flatted on the rear. He got to the pit and put the spare rear on but it was 10 speed and he has 9 speed! Damn! he tried to ride it but it was popping and skipping and it was impossible to ride. DNF! We will have a 9 speed in the pit for the next race that's for sure.

I raced the 45+ Masters. Started out fast, got to the middle of 6 laps, still fast, my shifting is going South very fast too, about as fast as the race. Chain won't stay in anything in the back hardly and I don't understand why, very frustrating. I checked everything over on both bikes before we made the trip up. Anyway on the last lap toward the end there was a wicked short steep climb that sucked the life out of your legs every climb up. Well my chain decided to snap while I was about 3/4 of the way up. Now mind you I was putting every pound of power I had in my body to climb up this thing because I should have been in my 25 but was only able to be in the 21 or so at that time. The chain snapped and back I came, not too gracefully too I might add. I did a backward tumble, bike on top of me and I came to rest at the bottom of the hill. I picked up the bike with the chain stuck in the rear spokes, ran up the hill and the rest of the way into the finish to end up finishing 13th out of 23-24 starters. I would not have placed any better at the finish had my chain not snapped, but I might have placed better if I was not having problems for about half of the race. I did get another new chain and Rudy installed it after the race. Come to find out a pin had worked it's way ouf of a link which was causing the bike not to shift properly and when under a heavy load, snap!

Sunday was better, not as hot either. Tony raced the 2-3 race and this time again got into another early break. He was sitting 3rd. in a break for the first 4 spots when he came into a tight 180 downhill turn when he went down and into the rope. They used rope instead of ribbon on this course (very good idea too) The rope got tangled up in his bike somehow and he lost a few spots there. He was trying to make up his lost position when he went down again in another tight downhill section. He slid all the way back to 10th at this time. He said he was trying too hard to make up the lost positions and wasn't paying attention. He regained his composure and fought back on to get back to 3rd with 1 lap to go. On the last lap he was 10 seconds off of 2nd, whe he flatted again!, this time past the pit and pretty close to the finish. He rode the whole way in on a flat, running the last steep climb to finish 5th. The way he was riding he for sure would have either caught 2nd. or at least would have sprinted it out for 2nd. Very impressive race. Hopefully all the bugs have worked themselves out for the remainder of the season this weekend for him.

Master 45+ was very fast again. A break of 6 formed after the 1st lap. Rudy and I were in it and after a short while Rudy and 2 other riders got a gap and got away. I was in the group of 3 for 4,5,6. We were working very well together when another rider caught on. We ended up dropping one of the 4 and that still left 3 for the 4,5,6 spot. Last lap up the steep climb we are all still tgether and I'm thinking this is going to be a sprint for the last podium spot of 5th. We rounded the last short uphill left onto the pavement and I went just a little wide and that was enough for the other 2 to get just a slight gap and when the sprint started I wasn't able to close it. I ended up 6th. just off the podium. I was very happy today with my race except that last move, but I felt strong and had a good RACE.

Robert WON both of his races. He was awesome this weekend and raced with alot of intensity, I wonder where he get's that from. Excellent racing Robert!

Julie WON both of her races too. Saturday she won with a hard charging rider that kept her pushing hard for the win. Sunday Julie had such a gap on the 2nd. place woman that she could have put it in cruise mode, she didn't though and pushed just as hard to the finish as she did Saturday.

Rudy was 2nd. both day's in the 45+ Masters. He was 2nd. Sunday to a racer that raced in the Elite race on Saturday.

Jeff finished 8th on Saturday. He rolled a tubular, grabbed his pit bike and made his way back to 8th. Nice finish Jeff.
Sunday he flatted and I don't know what happed to him after that. He was racing strong up til then though.

Lots of good competition this weekend. We stayed and watched the Elite race on Saturday which John Page won. He toyed with the field for 1 lap when he decided to put the smack down on everyone and just completely rode away from everyone. he made it look effortless. Hats off to Tailwind for a great venue and 2 great races, we'll be back for this one next year.

Double hat's off to our photographer Nick who snapped some good photo's this weekend. Nice job Nico!

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