Ok so here we are at the final round of the TBF Wednesday Night series. Last week I rode away with my first ever XC race overall win so I should be coming into the race full of confidence, haha don't I wish. How I feel before a race is completely random and I just happen to get sleepy & lethargic today. I decided to run the same 34 -16 gearing setup on the Niner Air 9 Carbon Single Speed as last week since it seems to work best for this course. The course was the same as two weeks ago so there was nothing new to learn during my chill pre-ride with fellow Team Diablo rider Nik Pridmore. The slick sandy corners were just that, slick and sandy and the tried and true fast lines down the rock gardens were still the same as always. We got back to the start/finish area with 20 mins to spare so I figure some stretching was in order to keep me loose and ready. I spent most of that 20 mins lying on my back in the shaded grass thinking damn I could use a nap. Determine to get a front row start this week I lined up several mins earlier then normal and was joined on the line by several HS or at least young and fast looking racers. The rider right next to me Bryce Lewis was the winner of the first round two weeks ago who got away from me when I got stuck behind another rider on the descent in that race. I told myself I just needed to be on him at the start of the descent into flow section and I'd figure out the rest from there. As I'm thinking all this I'm yawning up a storm with half masked eyes because damn I'm sleepy. At the very least my start line demeanor always throws off my competitors because they don't know what to make of the guy who's falling sleeping while standing over his bike on the front row.
5,4,3,2,1, GOOOO! and we're off, I get a good jump but as soon as I get half a pedal stroke in my lead foot comes unclipped so now both feet are unclipped and I can't get any power down with my extra tall Single Speed gearing. I get passed by a few riders and get dropped back to 6th or so. I finally get both feet clipped in and start sprinting around the side, meanwhile Bryce is already in front and pulling away from everyone. I work my way up to 4th before I spin out my gearing so I tuck into 3rd places draft. While spinning my legs for all their worth trying to stay in 3rd places draft, Antonio and one other rider go flying past us on the left, "Shit!". We're quickly approaching the narrow single track and I'm still going backward, not exactly what I had in mind when I said I wanted to be in 2nd place at the top of the hill. Like always the riders easy up 50' before the choke point so give it one last burst and dive past two riders going late on the brakes in order to not rear end Antonio Miranda. So as it sits we have Bryce in front pulling away slightly, his teammate in second place who's holding up Antonio in third and me in 4th trying to figure out where the hell I'm going to dive passed two riders in the next 1/4 mile on a trail that's only 14" wide. I don't know if it was the plan but Bryce's teammate was doing a great job of holding us off while letting Bryce open up his lead. "YES!" Antonio made a spot work and completed the pass so now it's my turn to work something out. Just then we jumped onto the wide asphalt road so I immediately put Bryce's teammate behind me and I work on closing the gap to Antonio who is also catching Bryce. We made the right turn into the start of the main climb and I was already maxed out but I knew if I didn't get myself into second place and right behind Bryce at the top of this climb my chances at winning were slim so it was all or nothing. I just focused on Antonio's rear wheel and let him pull me up to Bryce and at the top I dove passed Antonio as he he cheered me on with a "go get him".
Finally we're now in my domain, the DH and flow section of the course riddled with slick sand patches. I stick right behind Bryce who I suspected was quick on the descents from how he pulled away from Antonio and I two weeks ago on the first lap. Bryce didn't disappoint, he was quick and smooth so I could work my own rhythm without feeling held up. He was also running a rear facing GoPro so I made sure to give it a big grin and a wave as we flew passed the trees(maybe Bryce will show us video of the race). Bryce took several glances back to see if I was still there, probably a combination of my silent SS and the fact that this is where he destroyed the field only two weeks earlier. After several more glances back only to see me a few inches off his rear wheel he pulled wide in a corner silently asking me to pass to which I was more then happy to the offer. I picked up the pace through the corners a bit letting my tires do their drifting through the sand and I could hear what sounded like a small 10-20' gap open up behind me. But theirs plenty on small sections of pedaling and some tiny climbs so I didn't entertain any ideas of getting away. The end of each lap has a long slightly DH strait-away that leaves any SS racer including myself exposed to attacks from the geared riders. Sure enough Bryce attacked as soon as we hit the strait and I have to give it everything to keep in his draft for those 20 or so seconds. We rounded the last few corners of lap one with the spectators cheering us on and we started lap two of our duel.
I don't know if Bryce was attacking or if I was just suffering from being geared tall and my first lap sprint sessions but I was having a hell of a time trying to stay with him on the main climb. On this lap Bryce only took one glance behind him and decided to let me by much earlier in the lap. I knew I couldn't drop him but if I could keep the pace fast enough through the corners he may make a mistake in the sand. Sure enough a mistake was made but it was by me, I got in to tight on a right corner and a rock sticking out of the inside wall caught my front tire making this really loud popping sound. After quickly saving the bike from a front wheel tuck I glanced down at my front tire to see if it still had air, thankfully it was fine. We entered the long strait-away and I prepared for the impending attack, but it never came. This had me worried because on the first half of the course there was little doubt Bryce is faster then me so he must be hatching a plan back there while taking it easy in the draft. I couldn't slow the pace down because then I'd run the chance of Antonio catching back up who was currently out of sight but lurking all the same. I led almost the whole third lap until that damn strait at the end. This time Bryce waited longer to pass me probably hoping I'd be more tired by the end but I made sure to save just a little for any attacks. Right at the bottom of the strait there is a short climb into a single track where you chose left to finish the race or right to take another lap. He gave it a good effort up the climb but when he made the right hand turn to start out final lap he lost the front end over the hump and with a long resounding "OH SHIT" he hit the dirt.
Now this is where the two guys on my shoulders come into play but instead calling them good and bad we have competitor on the left and racer on the right. When Bryce hit the dirt it was obvious he was ok but the guy on my left wanted to stop and make sure and restart our duel on equal terms. But then the guy on my right was like fuck that first off there's at least a dozen people right here to help him and second this is a race remember and we race to win. So I grasped the opportunity that Bryce had handed me and sprinted away like it was the last half mile leaving him in his own cloud of dust.
Now here is where strategy comes I to play. If I enter the finishing section of the course with a rider with gears I stand little to no chance of holding them off before we enter the final 1/8 mile of single track where its impossible to pass and there's no finish strait to have a chance to sprint by. So it was decided that the top of the main climb only a 1/4 of the way through the last lap would be my finish line. I gave it everything I had in that mile and when I reached the top I didn't see anyone within the 100' of me. I didn't take it easy after that, I just kept it fast and smooth because I felt it would be nearly impossible for him to make up much if any time on the flowy DH section. The goal was to enter the final strait with enough of a lead that he couldn't sprint passed me as I was coasting unable to pedal any faster. I glanced back several times during the lap but never spotted Bryce so I felt my plan was working.
I was working passed dozens of lapped riders and then "OH SHIT"......I just crashed, I can't believe I just crashed with less then a mile to go. I had rubbed the inside of my front tire against a rut hidden in the sand and it caused my body weight to fall to the inside and loose the front end. "DAMN IT DAMN IT" as I struggled to get clipped back into the pedals I'm barely crawling up this small hill. I finally get clipped in and know I'm pushing and pulling the pedals with all my might to gain back any momentum I had just lost. I took a peek behind me and saw a rider 50' back but I couldn't tell if it was Bryce or not, "damn why can't he be easy to spot like Clint aka the human highlighter". I drop onto the final strait and take another peek back and the rider is still 50' back so I think to myself "maybe it's the guy I lapped right before crashing". Halfway down the strait I take another peek back and he's only 10' behind me "Fuck it is Bryce, why did I have to crash". He sprints passed me and I tuck right in behind him desperately trying to think of a plan of attack. My last hope is to sprint past him on the short climb before the trail goes into the final narrow section of corners. We hit the climb and I give it everything, but so does he so I make up no ground and that's it, we're into the narrow single track and he back off his sprint effort. Just then as we're passing through the hordes(maybe like 20 people) of cheering spectators there's a spot, its on the left and it's only 20' long but it's about 2' wide so its a spot. The guy on my right shoulder screams at me "GO!!!" and with that I dive to the left sprinting like my life depended on it. I'm brushing against the bushes on my left and right when I get my front wheel next to Bryce's pedals I yell out "on your left" because it's only common courtesy to announce any questionable passes. I squeeze passed just in time to stab the rear brake and pitch the bike into the berm of the corner and keep me from running wide. I knew there no way to pass me back in these last few corners but that's what Bryce must have said 5 seconds ago so I left nothing to chance and gave it everything that last 100 yards. I won by a narrow 2 second margin after 58 mins of intense effort and each of us crashing once.
This race is probably my most exciting Mtb race of 2014 and easily takes the prize for most entertaining finish. Big congrats to Bryce for pushing all the way to the end and keeping me honest. An honorable mention to Antonio for his hard effort and only finishing a min behind us even with his ongoing case of sickness he's been dealing with for several weeks. A round of thanks to TBF and all the volunteers who help make this race happen. Sending out a get well to Dee Larsen who is the whole reason this race series was put on, keep fighting and never give up.
A few shameless plugs to the people and products that keep me at the front of the pack. My family, Rojoracing, Team Diablo, Encina Bicycle Center, The Hub, Niner Bikes, Industry Nine, e*thirteen components
Until next time keep things interesting.
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