My road race season ended this past sat. At the nice race of Carrera de San Rafael. It was a fun race on a good course in a cool location right down town. I just received my upgrade from Casey Kerrigan so this was my last race in the cat 4 group. I was motivated because my good friends Larry Longo and Dave Towle where there doing announcing. Then some big guy who was riding too upright, from teamZ blows a tire in the high speed finishing corner right in front of me. I was the next guy in line, right on his wheel, and there was no where to go but over the top of him grinding on the pavement! I was bitter because I didnt want to crash in this last road event for me this season, and here I was flying thru the air and sliding on the pavement! I wasnt broken any where, thanks to GOD! and everything seemed ok except my front wheel amd my race clothes which were now shredded and full of the hay from the hay bales I just slid into. A nice guy who also crashed gave me his front wheel and I joined back into the group. But ooops, I did not check into the pits, so after I finished 4th in the sprint I was DQ'D for not checking into the pits after a crash! That was a good lesson learned. I was happy for my team mate Chris C. Because he broke away and the group just sat there and didnt chase and he held on for a nice win! I was bitter because that guy took me out and so I wasnt in the best mood during the rest of the race after I changed wheels. I ended up with some nice road rash and a good lesson learned about heading to the pits! I could have been so much worse after crashing at such a high speed and was very happy to simply be able to walk and ride away!
The week before I won my 262 race taking the Giro de SF race in downtown San Fran. That is a cool course and it is bumpy with lots of turns. I just avoided a crash with 2 laps to go right in front of me and then took the win by inches. Then in the next race, I thought I had it lined up for a double win on that day, but mis-judged the sprint and ended 2nd in that race. 1st and 2nd wasnt bad, but I wanted 1st and 1st! But compared to the next week where I was crashed out buy a guy, the race in SF was a good time!
Road season is done and this weekend Sept 17 is the Norcal Singletrack DH championship race at Toro park. This is part of the CCCX DH series and the course is seriously fun! I just want to have 2 good runs and not make any mistakes.
Then the next week is cyclocross racing time with the first race of the CCCX cross series at Manzanita park in Prunedale. That is a good course and it is going to be a hard race. That race is Sept 24. Then the next weekend is cross race #2 for the CCCX series in Ft Ord, Oct 1. Then the next weekend is DH race #3 for the CCCX DH series at Toro Park, Oct 8. So there is lots of racing action ahead!
