It was bitterly cold and windy. To stay warm, I set up my trainer on the side of my truck to block the wind. I spun on the trainer until the course was open to pre-ride. After completing 2 laps, I went to the finish line where I stripped off everything but my skin suit and leg warmers.
I got off to a good start and was right on Vince Roberge's rear wheel. About three quarters of the way through the first lap at the bottom of the hill, he went flying over the bars which caused me to have to stop and run up the hill losing several spots. Halfway through the race, two more riders went down and I was able to gain one spot.
I was in the 6th spot trying to chase down 5th place. It took 2 laps, but I was able to get on his rear wheel. I got around him on the next straightaway. Then with 2 laps to go I bonked and was passed which put me back in 6th place. I managed to hold on to my 6th place position even with the two guys behind me chasing hard.
When I finished I realized how cold I really was. My fingers and toes were numb. I still wasn’t feeling that well until we went upstairs and had a couple of bowls of tomato soup and sat next to a heater. I wanted to finish a little better than I did for the last race of the year, but I will be back next year and plan to keep improving. Hope to see more people giving cyclocross a try next year!
Written by Mark P.
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