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NCSU MTB Race Report Day 1

Today we raced a cross country and short track race at Harris Lake State Park in New Hill, NC. It was a fun day of racing, despite the dreariness of the rain, and the beginning of fall temperatures.

Cross Country

The Men's B XC race was two laps of a 7-mile course. The course is flat and fast, and in some places quite narrow. I went out hard from the start and was the second person onto the trail. Branson Holt of NC State was ahead of me, and he's a technically skilled rider, and this is his home course, so I was content to sit behind him. The first loop of the 7 miles is on the beginner loop, which is smooth and fast. There are some roots, but it's mostly super fast. The first obstacle of note is the tight tree section here. Taking a hard left through two very close trees, up a short up and through more tight trees, then a pair that are about an inch wider than my wide handlebars before it opens back up.

Off the beginner loop, it is still fast but with some rolling and lots of roots, and tight through some trees. Nothing worthy of the title "climb" for sure, and one section that is a handful of tabletops that were fun.

I got passed by another NC State dude who was flying, and he went by Branson pretty quickly. A sharp 2 foot drop into a tight turn and I flipped over the handlebars, and a dude passed me, putting my back to fourth. The course is so fast that it is tough to make up any time though, since we're going about as fast as is possible through the trees. I clipped a tree with my handlebars, and went down again, but got up and kept going just fine. The first time I'd hopped back on my bike only to realize that my seat was about sideways and had to get off to fix that first ha.

Another tight section got the best of me, and I clipped by bars again. Andy W passed me this time, and I was about pulling the W&M guy who had passed me after my two crashes back in. I kept Andy in sight, and we were still cruisin. (So that's three notable falls thus far lol).

Coming back onto our second lap, I was going fast trying to catch up to those ahead of me, and coming in hot to the first tight little tree section, totally clipped a tree at speed. I went flying over the bars this time, and as I landed on the ground I felt (and heard) a crunch as my shoulder plowed into the ground. That hurt, and I took a quick second before hopping back on spinning easy for one minute. My shoulder felt alright, a little shaky, but I was glad I hadn't hurt it bad. Gradually I got back up to speed, with a few guys within earshot behind.

Eventually, Bill Lucy who had been owning it up in C's and just upgraded to B's this weekend was on my wheel. I picked it up a lot when he caught me, and we were flying pretty much all the way to the finish. I had thought we would've brought people back at that pace, and I think we were but just not enough time was left in the race.

Coming out of the last corner he said something that I thought was "let's spread it out!" What I hadn't realized was that it was the last corner, and we had really said "let's sprint  it out!" So when he sprinted up next to me, I thought he was just spreading it out...until I saw the finish and started to sprint after him. With a bike throw, I'd only got back to a few inches short, and he had nabbed me for 5th.

Short Track

After recovering from the XC race with a delicious lunch provided by Andy Wentzel's parents, I was as ready as I was gonna be for my premier event. I was shivering cold at the line, but oh well.

I took off hard again for the same hole shot, and the short track course was the "beginner loop." So it was FAST. It included the tight tree section, as well as a really rooty section coming back up to the S/F before the open grass and gravel (then all over again!).

I got into the hole shot in second, and went hard. The NC State guy who had crushed the XC was in front of me, and we opened up some room behind us.

Coming back into the open S/F, a couple guys went around me, and the NCSU guy was long gone. After another lap, he was out of sight. I kept crushing with the people I was with: W&M guy from XC, and NCSU's foreign ringer from France.

We traded off places, as I learned all of the fastest lines on the course. The three of us got really far away from those behind us. I could go the fastest through the flat turny section, and got to a point where I was only using my brakes on the 180's turns, and going into the tree section. I was taking those corners faster and faster, with the new Kenda Nevegals on front and back never giving way. I can feel the really knobby tires rolling slow on the straight open flat parts, but I think it's worth the better grip in corners. Nearing the last lap, it was down the Frenchy and me.

We were going all out for the first two laps of the last four, with me in the front for those and awhile before. I crushed on the second to last lap, and coming out into the first part open he sprinted around me and got me at a fence gap. There was still an open gravel section going into the single track, and I gave it a huge sprint to go around him into the last lap. I'd locked out my front fork into the last open, and it probably helped. We pulled even as we approached a 90 degree right onto the trail, and he sensed that I was not giving any ground, and dropped behind me.

From the two all out sprints, I was tired and had him behind me. There's no chance to pass during the lap, and I eased up. Not slow, but slower than we had been going before that, and I was banking on having him in the spring to the finish line.

Coming out into that last corner, I reached down and flipped the lockout, and dropped the hammer out. He would've had to sprint the length of my bike faster (how far he started behind) in 150m, and there was no way. I took the sprint victory and went straight through the tape, my quads tightening up immediately but happy with a perfectly executed race.

Overall

If I hadn't gone down in the XC, no doubt I would've held third...and the dude from NCSU that won the short track is totally sandbagging in B's. He said he's going to be an A next weekend. So I'm really pleased with my finishes today...maybe I should start training on MTB's during the week?

In the rulebook, which is followed quite loosely at times, it actually says that if you get five top-five finishes in B or C, you're actually required to upgrade. But that one is not enforced...or everyone who raced consistently would be an A, and that's not reasonable. Following the rules, however, I think that I should be upgrading to A's before my next race weekend (not allowed to upgrade mid-weekend at all). Not sure that I'm ready for A's, but I could give it a go. I could probably handle the short track, but would get destroyed pretty bad in the XC. Too bad you can't race different categories for each.

Wake up at 7AM tomorrow for the second XC race of the weekend, which is actually going to be the same XC as today in reverse. It was supposed to be at some different and sick trails, but they called today with 2.5in of rain, and unrideable trails. In other good news, I just about finished my algebra HW tonight was well! And I have about 500 pictures of the races today to upload!!

the Assault of Harding

Comrades,

For too long have we cyclists of Virginia Tech and of the Blacksburg community been held in fear of the climb known as Harding. Too long has the sound of Harding Repeats stabbed pain into the legs and the hearts of those we hold dear.  Too many are the souls crushed as the likes of DeLong, Gargiulo, and Crawford danced on their pedals whilst us mere mortals are left to suffer.

To put an end to this tyranny under which we are being forced to live, a militia is to be gathered at 5PM Thursday at the Pillars of Virginia Tech with solitary purpose of defeating our great foe once and for all. We shall flood the fields and take Harding with the watts of champions. Our ascent over this beast will surely be strong and fast.

"This is where we fight! This is where [Harding] dies!"
Andy

Battle Plan

Where: War Memorial Chapel

When: Thursday 5PM

What: Light warm-up with an all-out effort up Harding

Who: Everyone who wants to PR the climb!

Motivation:
http://app.strava.com/rides/1433603#22560657

Today the militia was gathered, and with the likes of Justin C, Mike B, Andy W, Will M, Tyler G, Robbie, Zach M, Cody we fought. And we prevailed. It was windy and cold, but as a team we rode.

At the bottom, I sat behind Mike and Will. Will went off, but we reeled him back in by the middle. Cody led Mike Will and I across the middle, whench the three of us attacked the notch. Mike and Will crushed the notch, Mike said he saw 770 watts lol. They had gapped me, and I chased after them to the top, finishing in a personal record 10:19!! Two minutes faster than I ever have before, I was happy with this effort.

When I first got the Kazane, I rode Harding all out to have a baseline. Nearly two years ago, I was at 13:30.

Here's the Strava leaderboard: