NBX G.P. of Cross Verge NECCS Race #9 - Dan C

Dec 7, 2008, Warwick, RI - Day 2 - Wet/snow and cold

Masters 35+ 1/2/3

Cross Race #33 of the season for me

I completely stole this idea from MarkZ.  It was so good I could not help it.  How many differences can you see between these similar photos. - taken by KWPS.  The first is from day 1 in Warwick, the second from day 2 in Warwick.

One, two, maybe three?  The snow is an obvious one.

The three most important differences (to me anyway) are are not visible in these photos.  First being that my legs were feeling great (maybe from the pints of Guinness and scallops wrapped in bacon from the night before?).  Second being that I was racing for 4th place, vs the 15th that I got on Saturday.  A much better day for me.  I like racing in the snow and usually do well in it.   Third being that I was having much more fun today!

All in all the race went much better for me today than yesterday.  I had a decent start and immediately felt good.  John Bold (click on names to see their crossresults.com pages) was not racing today due to a pulled muscle in his back from a crash yesterday.  He had the elite masters series all wrapped up and didn't need any points from this race at all.   Roger A and Mark M immediately got a gap, with Kevin H, me and a bunch of others behind.  A lap in, the gap was closing to the two leaders and Kevin jumped across.  No one else would and once Kevin got there they picked it up quite a bit.  I kind of think Mark was slowing things down until Kevin could join them.  They are good friends.  He does things like that.

With those three gone, me, Mark Stotz, and Alan Starrett (who I have not really had the chance to race with in a group at all but had fun doing so) formed a group for the rest of the race.  Some of us were doing more work than others.  Alan was really smooth through the corners.  There were a few closing in on us from behind so I wanted to keep the pace high.  I would rather ride hard and finish last in this group (6th) than get caught and possibly finish 10th.   Others would rather just beat me.

I pulled hard pretty much the whole last lap as the guys behind were getting really close.  I was hoping to get a bit of a gap in the tricky stuff and keep it to the end rather than have to sprint Mark and Alan.  I hit the finish pavement first with a few bike lengths and ended up in a huge drag race with Mark.  Here is how it ended up.  I am on the outside, Mark is on the inside.

Can you tell who won?

I can't.  But the officials could.  I guess Mark got it by a hair.  Not really a big deal as he had jumped across me in the overall series standings yesterday due to a great ride by him and a crappy ride by me.  I would have had to beat him by around 10 places to take back my 5th place in the series.  I was just really happy to finish off the Verge NECCS on such a good note.  Yesterday would not have been a good way to do so.

So that finishes off the battle of the Easthampton elite masters between me and Mark.  I am killing him in the total number of cross races done this year!

Next up will be this race.  I have to do the single speed event due to other obligations in the afternoon.  My niece is playing Clara in the Nut Cracker.  I had better get busy and get that bike together so I can actually do the race.  Crap, forgot to pre-reg.