Canton Cup - The Good, Bad and Ugly

I missed Saturday’s race . . .beer tent and all. Pretty disappointed. I spent the day in the mist/rain setting up the Canton Cup course. We had an army of dudes which made the setup way better than years past. Great new sections and the classic canton features made for a killer course: Enough said.

The race . . .the good, the bad and the ugly.

The Good: My start. If there is one thing I do well in a cross race, it is usually my start. Ryan (1K2Go) got the holeshot, Noah (Richard Sachs) took over and Myerson (Nerac.com) followed. I was able to grab Adam’s wheel. Money. In retrospect, I remember wondering if I should pass Adam and push the pace about ½ way thru the first lap. I didn’t. Looking at the photos, I appear to be on the rivet. Adam appears to be out for a coffee shop training ride. (See photos for further humor on the “push the pace” notion. That is me on the right, just about the hit the first hurdle) Probably the right decision. Follow Adam as long as possible.

Note: I stole this photo from Paul Weiss. His a killer race photographer. Check out his website and buy a photo so he doesn't get pissed I stole this image. http://www.paulweiss.bz

The Bad: I followed Adam, a couple of Fiordifutta boys, Noah, etc. for two laps or so. There was separation, but I was there. Easily in the top 10. I was in a small group with Chopper (my teammate), Tom G and a bikeman dude. We were chasing, not making ground, but not loosing ground. A few dudes came up from behind over the next few laps and then I came unraveled. I crashed hard at the base of the run up. It was a yard sale. I was on all fours, face down in the mud in front of a big crowd of spectators. So Pro. That was the beginning of the end. The group I was with rode away from me.

Next lap, I dumped it again . . .in the mud . . .while cornering. Lost 4 more spots.

Next Lap, I dumped it again . . .in the mud . . .while cornering . . .lost more spots.

I limped in. Well off the pace.

The Ugly: After the race, I was cold, wet and bitter. I jawed with Chopper, my wife and some random dude that thought he was going to be a peacemaker. Ahh . . .just a good day racin’. Can’t wait for the first Verge UCI race in Maine this weekend. It has been raining for the last 3 days and the forcast calls for more Rain.

Rain, a Tom Stevens design track and UCI heavy hitters: Brutal day ahead.