Cross Your Heart CX

Spin once again did a first class job on this race, congratulations to you guys and Thank You!

The course was true cyclocross for sure. Mud, hills, spirals, grass flats, concrete, water, 5 dismounts per lap, twists and some running. The course had a nice flow to it and I know everyone had a hard time on the hill so everyone suffered there. I started out in a crappy position and tried to make up some places before going into the first barrier and run up, which I did. Got to the top and passed a few more before blasting down the short steep drop and settled in until the grass outfield area where I jumped again to get near the front of the group before dismounting in the muddy twists to start running. Remounted for a short time until the base of the big hill where I dismounted and shouldered the bike and climbed/slipped my way to the top as fast I could and remounted toward the downhill side. Flew down the other side through the large water, mud area where I caught the leader just at the log dismount. We rode together and started the climb at the base of the sled hill together when I tried to pass on his in

side and ended up stacking it when my pedal got caught on the stake by trying to be a little too aggressive. I endo'd into the tape and was really hoping that I didn't throw the leader off of his climb by my mistake. I got back on and saw that he was now entering the muddy infield and was riding good, pheww, my crash didn't take him out at least! I chased hard and caught back on sitting second wheel past the start/finish when I rode by and was now in the lead. I kept the lead for 3 laps and was watching a rider move closer every lap. On lap 4 he caught me and we rode together for about a half a lap but he was running the hill and climbing better than me and he put a slight gap on me that I couldn't close. I also thought I was getting a rear flat so I pitted and grabbed my mountain bike which I rode for the last lap and a half or so. I wound up finishing second overall and about :30 behind the leader in a great fought race. It was a super hard race but fun at the same time, the way I used to enjoy cross racing and the way I could very well get used to enjoying it again! Thanks for the cheering section too by the way all you *old guys* we all have to stick together.... :-)

The A race started out so fast it was scary and within a lap it was split up already! There were a few nice battles within the race and Tony and Rudy were in one again as they were last year where they were both side by side coming into the final barriers and finish. Rudy finished just ahead of Tony again this year for 8th place and Tony 9th., that was good racing! Matt worked his way up to the front again to get past Steve Twining and Paul to take the win, that was another hard fought battle and Ernie rode his butt off for a great 4th place finish.

Jules rode to a 4th place in the womens open after racing the Iceman Cometh mountain bike race the day before in Traverse City Michigan and with another bruised and possibly broken rib. I think Julie deserves the Ironwoman trophy of the year award this year for racing most of the season injured.

Great racing by all of my team mates once again on a very hard and true cyclocross course, you guys are awesome!

This Sunday is Blue Sky (or not) CX in Euclid, see you there.