Sport 45-54

2nd place

After 3 years, I'm finally figuring out this course. There's no place to rest, and you really need to maintain your momentum through the berms and rollers. 

The course starts out with a gradual fire road climb for a couple of miles before entering the first single track section. Even if you don't make the hole shot, there's plenty of passing opportunities. After a few rollers, you're on a short fire road section until the hike a bike leading you to the Clear Creek Canal trail. It's an old water flume with bermed turns that you need to rail to maintain your momentum and conserve energy.

The second hike a bike section stars off with a rocky switch back and a drop, taking you down a loose, dusty, rooty and rocky section to a creek bed. It's a skid and balance test that I passed both laps. I finally caught the leader (Tick) at that section and took the shortcut directly up the other side while he took the more gradual hike to the right. 

After exiting the single track, there's a long, high speed fire road descent followed by a hard right turn across the Clear Creek bridge. Tick missed the turn and stopped before the tape, giving me a taste of the lead until the second lap. 

After another fire road climb and fast descent, we started climbing Satan's Crack. The transition onto the single track is a g-out through gravel while veering right. This was the most challenging section of the course for me as we climb up the side of a windless and hot ravine. Tick and I traded places on the climb, where I crested the climb first.

The line of the first part of the fire road descent is on the left, right next to the drop off. I took it too hot and locked my rear wheel to get back on line. I even unclipped my inside leg and tapped the ground a couple of times on the sweeping right hander. Tick was right behind me and said my rear wheel was almost over the edge. 

We then ended up on pavement, followed a short, rocky single track section before the fire road climb to the start line. Tick got away from me then and I didn't see him again on the second lap until the finish.

There's only one more race in the NorCal Series, the LaGrange Fall Classic in Weaverville. This one's for all the marbles as I'm only in 1st place by three points. 

Sport 45–49

7th place

I gotta figure out this dust thing

Yeah, we're starting at 7,000 ft. and going up to 9,000+ a couple of times, but the dust was more of a factor than the lack of air. I completely popped at the start of the race and was left in the dust, and not just figuratively. Maybe I should go Beijing and race with a mask. 

There's plenty of passing opportunities, as we're on fire road for the majority of the race. Once I caught my wind, I started passing riders, but couldn't make up the gap. I may have caught one, maybe two riders in my group. I stalled on an "S" turn between a downed tree on the first single track descent, ran through the section, and managed a nice cyclocross mount without losing much time.

We started climbing again to the ridge line fire road, where I played cat and mouse with another racer in my group. He was riding a 3 x 1 and when he started walking a steep section near the summit, I dropped him for good. 

After reaching the ridge line fire road, I caught a tandem and knew I needed to pass them before the next single track. As I was attempting to pass, the stoker said, "Slow down." I don't know if it was directed to me or his captain as we were in a loose turn at the time. The reached the section first and they allowed me to pass before the trees. The second single track section is deceiving as it gradually rises, culminating in riding over both a downed tree, then up a loose, rooty section between a couple of Ponderosa Pines.

We're now at the best part of the course, Upper Fall Line. It's a mile of loose dust over sharp shale. Just as I started the descent, another rider started to walk in front of me. I called out "TRAIL," which spooked him enough to get out of the way. Near the end of the trail, I caught a rider from another group, and passed him on the fire road. 

I started climbing for the second time to the ridge line and returned to the start, making another turn onto the final single track descent. It had lots of loose, rocky switch backs, with some roots thrown in for good measure. I passed a few more racers on this section and rolled through the finish line.

Next week, I'm racing at Whiskeytown, one of the classic races just west of Redding.