I’m tired
I’ve been here 4 days and I’m already tired. Oh man!
I raced today in Huijbergen in The Netherlands, just past Hoogerheide. The course was super duper technical, but quite fun. I was having a blast preriding, until I hit this frozen cow field–it was so rough, it was ridiculous, I bottomed out both of my wheels every 2cm for at least 20m. Aaaahhh, my wheels!
But, nonetheless, I hit the start line, this time in the third row.
Excursus.
This brings to my theory on North American UCI races… Ok, so we need to have nationals when we do. And UCI races are good in that they bring big riders and more recognition, but why the heck should I get a third row start when Boy Van Poppel (Former junior world champ, top 10 today I believe) gets a fifth row start. There is something seriously wrong here. It would be too much work, but some system which determines how strong a field is should determine how many points are given away. Or at least the UCI should have a much more stringent application process for getting a UCI race. Big racers could be attracted by using the costs required for the UCI status for huge prize purses.
And I know this hurts me and other North Americans. But anyone should get UCI points for being good. As much I love to say it, I am not the 151st best cyclocross racer in the world!
So the gun goes. I am a little scared with the single track only about 300m away… the guy in front of me to my right does something funny, and I swirve, stop pedalling, and don’t get my foot in right away… 10 spots at least, I take thing cautious so as to not die… another 10 spots at least. We jam up at the single track and I want to pass guys. I guess taking it easy was dumb. But we get rolling and it’s basically just sitting on wheels at this point.
I was in a long line for at least a whole lap, then I started losing a few spots here and there. I could close gaps and they would open, close and open. But I could see at the second pit that I was really close to Derrick St. John, so I was pleased about that. But then gaps just kept opening. And they weren’t closing by now.
Ok, just ride and have and work on your technical ability. How many laps are left? I don’t know, nobody has shown me a lap card 4 laps in. What the heck?!?!?
Then Kevin Hazzard gets on my wheel, I drop my chain and focus on closing the gap to him. I think that lasted a lap and half, until the leaders caught right on the finishing straight.
Excurcus.
What the heck?!?!? Do I pull myself out??? Where are the commissaires??? Nobody showed me any lap counts, nobody yelled at me to get off the course, I don’t know?!?!?
But I have been fined once for doing a lap I shouldn’t have. And, especially on this course, I didn’t want to have to pull over every 2 seconds for the fast guys. But I did teach myself, from last year, stay on that guys wheel as long as you can and learn from him. But, like today, I don’t want to be the jit that gets in the fast guy’s way…
So I pulled out. I got my stuff, got changed, packed up, and hit the road. Much faster day then yesterday. Plus, I’m not too rushed to get everything done because I’m not racing tomorrow. And clean up is a heck of a lot easier when it’s not gross muddy!
A couple days off and another race in Hofstade on Boxing Day! National team kit…
Insuadibilis
