DAS cross race

So I have been been racing the last few cross races of the season and this weekend I went to the DAS Cross up in Dayville CT.  Not a long drive up around 50 minutes or so and a fun course.   Definitely make the drive next year if you want to try out cross and Don puts on a cross training series in the fall if a mid week ride is more your style..prizes were great to beer and power bars.  Plus to top it all off FREE entry for bike shop employees!

The course is more old school then the new wide open verge type races that have gained in popularity in New England…relatively narrow course and small sections of single track sprinkled in throughout the course.  A steep run up with a fast entry is a real highlight along with the covered bridge that you go through out there.  This time they also had two single barrier dismounts.   The second one being hard because there were a lot of roots on the remount that made it nearly impossible to get into the pedals clipped in while taking a short rooty decent.  Don’t fret there was plenty of flat fast riding and my favorite…a sand pit through a volley ball court.

I did my usual warm up, a run around the course and then I even put in a few laps around to check it out.  Small group on the line for today 11 guys.  We had a uneventful start with no crashes and a group of five riders made the first lap together.  This group was experienced enough to make a real race of it for me.  Since the course is tight passing can be difficult especially if you are not the kind of explosive rider needed with short open sections found here.   A few of the passes I made were nothing but making a opportunity of someone else’s mistake such as hitting some local fauna or someone missing a turn.  By the third lap I was out front and riding my steady pace.

Now watching a race like this can seem pretty boring because everyone settles in to their own pace and are separated by some distance, there is no bumping shoulders or crafty passes to watch.  For the rider it is a different experience, you are tense because either your are chasing or are trying to stay ahead of your closest competitor.  Any mistakes can prove disastrous in a close race so  you are very focused on riding your best.  So if you are watching your friends or family out there and it seems boring be certain that for them the race is really capturing a 100% of their attention and focus.   For me this is the best part of racing, your mind is free of it’s day to  day burdens of work, family or other thoughts.  Try it sometime!

I had a few close calls with the front wheel washing out after the covered bridge, tripping on the dismount for the big run up and the course becoming slick as the sun melted the frozen ground.  I really couldn’t afford any major mistakes since second place was not far away and would certainly catch me if I fell.  Luckily enough I was able to finish it off in the lead and feel good about my effort.

Post race included picking up the loot and talking with the other rides about how their races went, the challenges of the course and generally socializing with other people who have my interests.  The post race part of the day cannot be under estimated for it’s fun factor.  Get out there and hit those events!   Amos