UCI Cincinnati

Beautiful, hot as hell weekend for cyclocross down in the tri state area. Friday we raced in Kentucky at Devou Park where we raced the last 3 years. The course was on the other side of the park this year and none of the previous course was used. This was the hardest most hilliest cross course I have ever raced on, not to mention it felt like holding onto a jackhammer for nearly an hour. The course was extremely dry and bumpy and did I mention hilly? I do believe there was not a flat section on the course and all the corners were either uphill or downhill off camber stuff. I'm not complaining because it was a different course to race on and the folks that set it up did a tremendous job and for that I'm very appreciative. I managed to finish 8th in the Cat.3 Masters 45+ group which I wasn't very happy with, I probably should have been since my cross legs are just now coming into form. I thought Saturday would be a better day.

Saturday we moved North to Middleton and raced in Sunset Park, again where we have raced the past three years. This year they changed up the course a bit and it had a really sweet flow to it with some technical twists. We raced again with the huge Cat.2-3 group and Masters 35-45 Cat 3's combined for a total of almost 160 racers on the course at once. First lap was nuts. I worked my way up fairly quick and had good legs. Passed alot of people and was riding strong but could only manage a 7th in the Masters 45+. I rode technically sound for both days so far for the most part (a few bobbles on Friday) and was pretty happy with my skills, just have to work my way up a little better and get more aggressive if I want a podium spot which I was totally capable of. Oh, got a serious case of cross lung going on too by the way.

Sunday was the last day at Harbin Park where I rode to a 5th. overall in the Cat.3 Mens 35+ race last year. We lined up with the 2-3's and Masters combined again and when the gun went off I managed to get in the middle of the chaos and keep my bike up amid a few nasty crashes early. My legs were feeling fine for the third day of hard racing and I kept the pressure on. I kept hearing the announcer say that I was sitting in 3rd. and Julie and Lynn kept telling me the same. I was carving the corners pretty fast and jumping hard out of them, riding and running the sand sections good as well, everything was going to plan in this race and I was getting excited as the race was on the last lap. I bridged up to a Cat.2-3 guy running through the uphill sand section and we stayed together through the twists before the downhill sand section. He entered the sand before me and was rippin, I was right behind and all of a sudden he stacked it just as he exited, I was just a few feet behind him and didn't have time to veer off anywhere and as he was down I hit him. My bike and I went crashing hard to the ground but I got up within seconds, grabbed my bike, jumped on it and took off around the corner. The front end washed out under me and I went hard into the tape with a punctured front tire. Guys came flying past me as I was running my bike to the pit only to find the front wheel gone......Tony had a flat too. Day over for me, but by the time I got to the pit I had probably lost 5 places anyway, so another lesson learned, two sets of wheels or, two bikes. I had third locked up on the third day of racing which I felt the best, but oh well, that sucks but thats the way it goes.

Team did well and it was a great weekend with everyone. Proppe and Julie kicked it and locked up the podium. Everyone else was in a fight all three days, congratulations everyone. Team Lake Effect represented very well!

Up next is Creek Cross this weekend in Solon. See you all there.