Yes! I finally completed a cat1 race without a DNF!
Start wise, I was a row back from the front behind Agauyo and a fast looking guy who hell bent on getting in the front row. Good enough for me. Start goes off and I'm up toward the front. Not bad. Sitting in 7th or so as we go up to the windmill. I think we pass a guy that blows up before the BMX stuff. I'm behind Agauyo, this is exactly where I want to be and we're packed in from 1st to where I am. As we weave around through that field of new trail, Agauyo gets caught up in the loose stuff, loses control but saves the bike as he cuts across the field. He's burped his tire in the mayhem and pulls out before we do the final bmx stuff and head off the camping field.
Behind me some jerk hole keeps buzzing me. HAHA, I'm kidding because afterwards I found out it was Tootall. We were bunched in tight and there was no where to go except tire to tire a few times. As we start the climbing gaps start to open and they really start to open in front of the guy in front of me. I go to pass on the switchback and try to cut inside to which he cuts down and in on me which closes the door causing me to unclip and put my foot down. I hear "ride smooth Don" but I couldn't figure out who it was and wasn't about to turn around and look. Next chance to pass I get around the guy and bridge back up to the pack. I'm now in 5th'ish.
We hit Fat Chucks and the wheels start coming off for people. At the top I'm in 3rd. Working my way through the single track I pick off Dom on the fence line jeep road which leads to the front and then I catch Dale after the feedzone, I'm now in 1st?!?! Dale and I ride together through Fat Chucks with me in the front then he goes around as I recover and try to keep him in site. We get out to the jeep road and 3rd is back there behind me. He grabs my wheel for a free pull down the jeep road and through the feedzone. I notice Robert Baird is not far behind. He's a cat2 roadie with a BIG motor and I know it's just a matter of time before he pulls us in or blows by us. We get to the windmill and they attack. I let them go, we have another lap after we complete this one. I got to be smart, I'm riding my race, not theirs.
I keep them in site through lap3. Things are uneventful but the course and the pace are starting to take a toll on me. Oh ya, it's starting to get freaking hot temperature wise.
Lap4 I ride alone through the opening mile of the lap. I see 3rd place not to far ahead, there is a chance for podium if I can bridge up before the end jeep road BUT that is a long way from where we are. The guys behind me aren't letting up. I keep seeing Totall and 2 or 3 other jerseys. First thing is first, I have to keep 4th position and then I can focus on 3rd. As I turn to start the gravel section of fat chucks I see 3rd going up. "Oh man, he's mine" I think. I pedal the downhill and then power up the uphill. Do the same for the next and I catch him midway up the final climb. I back it down and just sit on his wheel (I need to recover anyway.) I stick his back wheel to the single track and let him then open a little gap on me. I've already conceded that 2nd and 1st are way out of site and I don't have the umph or enough trail to reel them in but 3rd, 3rd is all mine!
I let a gap open between us. I want him to burn himself out trying to further gap me. He seems to be picking up the pace. I keep him in site for the most part. I'm trying to recover now and get ready for the last mile of the race. We get up blacktrack and I see him at the top as I'm crossing the road. I've got him! I see him at the wall. Oh man I'm getting excited! The boys in 5th and 6th are still back there but they aren't catching me, not today!
We get to the jeep road I quickly reel him in and just sit on his back wheel. He's done this to me on subsequent laps, now I'm on his wheel. I'm literally ready to drill it before we get to the barn. "Patience!!!" I keep telling myself. We get by the barn, "Patience" I tell myself. As we get to the road in front of the spectators I pull along side of him and ride there for about 100 yards. I see him move his finger to shift and I drill it. I gap him quickly opening several bike lengths and it's pretty much over as I stay on the gas to the finish.
That was a tough course. I didn't look at the numbers but someone said for 4 laps it was 16miles and 2,600' of climbing. For me, it felt like Leakey all over again. The UCI format was pretty cool and I actually liked it a lot. I'd like it if we had more courses like this where you get to make several laps. I'd like it if the whole field did such a course - kind of like a short track race. It would be pretty cool to watch and cheer for others as a spectator and pretty cool to keep passing your friends and family as a racer.
Totall was killing it out there. Congrats again man. I kept seeing him and thinking "damn it you little skinny f'er stay away from me, stay away." Agauyo was strong as ever, I hated his tire burped he would have had a really good chance to podium. Moots on the podium, congrats! Chad, moving up to the big leagues, NICE! There's a ton of people I'm forgetting. It was pretty cool seeing all the new DIRT kits out there. Hell, I didn't even recognize some of the folks. WTF and DIRT jerseys seemed to be placed in every class out there. I got to see SR, Miguel, Jek, Frank, KIA, and DBD on the course or finishing. Everyone was looking good though it was the first time I ever heard frank say 'waho' at the end of a race in an almost nonchalant whisper. Jim, congrats on your first cat1 race. It's different here and you're arguably in the 2nd fastest TMBRA class where everyone has a motor and experience. Sounds like you learned quite a bit, keep chiseling away at it.
Thanks to everyone who cheered and to Chad for the pro level handup - hahaha 3 bottles in one feedzone at speed - maybe it's a new record? Man, that water was good!
