Bloomer XC - More Than Results

Rolling up to the start I knew it was going to be a good, if not great, race. The morning went well and my nutrition was spot on. During the preride the legs had that effortless feeling and handling was comfortable. The only fly in the ointment was my cold. It's not bad but with the drainage and chapped lips I was worried about hydration, so I drank and drank right until the staging. 2 minutes to the whistle and I have too piss. I hold it and we get :30, GO!

Once again I have a bad start (I will be working on this over the next two weeks) and I'm mid pack heading toward the 'mulch pile'. Up and over I start picking off riders and get on the back of Selle right before the 's' curves toward the West end. Suddenly Ron Stack goes down from a rolled front tire? Not sure what he hit because it seemed like a odd spot. Selle 'T' bones him and I luckily miss it and now have clear track to the lead group of Johnson, Osgood, Bailey and Hilditch. I make contact on the downhill and we hit the climb together. The pace is fast, but seems manageable. Johnson is on the front and has a few bikes on the group but no one panics. Eventually we regroup then Osgood decides it's his turn to attack. He manages a gap of about 5-7 bikes then is slowly brought back. We end lap 2 still together. I'm still feeling good and want to move up from my 5th place in line but Jim is having none of it. Every time I come along side he digs that little harder and stays ahead, so I continue to follow. Up the velodrome hill and we make the right hand turn, Bailey attacks and I can see him gaping off the front. I react and bury myself to bridge the gap. It takes until the asphalt before the start/finish before I catch.

Going into lap 4 I'm with the move to win the race. I'm riding hard and feel I have a chance to hold on. I'm stuck to Simon and won't let him get a bike length, every once in a while I looks back to see if I'm still there. I am! 'GO Simon, hit him again' someone says. Still I hold on. I'm riding very hard and am doing all I can to stay with the accelerations that come out of every corner. Lap 4 ends and we get 2 to go. We make the 180 deg turn, hit the barriers and Simon is first to hit the gas. He quickly gets 3-4 bike lengths. I stand and bury myself again because I can't lose his wheel or I'm in trouble. By the time I hit the 'mulch pile' Simon is almost through and POP! I blowup, hit the fall, crab the bed. The power just left and I was in a panic. I quickly get caught by Johnson, Osgood and Hilditch. Osgood gives me a pep talk of 'Get on' and I try but I still haven't recovered enough. They pull away and all hope is lost until I notice Jeff Haney closing. I know it's now or never and as he passes I 'Get on'. He paces me through the rest of lap 5 and we get the bell lap. I lose 23 seconds to Simon and 19 to the others on that one lap. Ouch!

I get back on the podium train and try to catch my breath. That doesn't last because these guys are fighting for wood. There are 4 of us and only 2 steps left. Up the velodrome climb and back onto the grass when another surge comes and I can't react. They start to gap me off and I keep fighting and looking for anything I have left. There's not enough. By the time I reach the pavilion it's over. I sit up and pedal in for my 5th place.

Even though I wound up with a participation medal, instead of wood, I'm very happy with my race. I learned a lot and know I gave my all. I fought until the end and can be proud of that. I wasn't racing for anything but 1st place today, so I had to fire every bullet and see what happened. I'm looking forward to the State Championships and seeing how it all shakes out. No matter what happens next, it's been a great season already. Thanks.