USGP #1 - Planet Bike Cup - Sun Prairie

Saturday was my first cross race ever. I did a moderate amount of training the week previous and built my XO-1 with MOD (my boss) the night before the race. I had no prior experience racing cross, and had never attended a training clinic or even ridden a cyclocross bike for more than a jaunt around the parking lot.

This is the wrong way to do a race. Not that I had a bad race, but it is not the proper way to race. One should never race on a brand new bike without any test-riding, nor should one dive in head first without any sort of practice.

I began in 99th position of about 115 starters and raced in the 4s. Beginner class. When the gun went off, I in turn gunned it as soon as I could, and went for as many passes as possible in the first lap. This is racing aggressively.

I've always known how to race aggressively in the "attack and attack hard when the opportunity presents itself" sort of way. It was not until this year that I learned what it meant to always race aggressively, but it has made a huge difference. One needs to realize that in a cross or MTB race, sitting in when the pack is all together is a terrible idea. You need to always jockey for position, because it will eventually string out, and split up, and suddenly the opportunities to even race for a top 10 spot are gone.

So I rode quite aggressively the first lap and got back up in the field quite a ways. However, by the time I got back up toward the front, it had strung out and the many corners of the course made it string out far and fast. Recovering for a lap or two, I then had to be sneakier about my attacks and moves. I'd find a group, observe for a bit to decide where it would be best to attack them, and ride accordingly. Most of my moves were made in the tighter sections, or the greasey, off-camber areas that some tried to ride, and I would run faster. Many time it was line choice that determined how I would attack.

And then I met my match in David Studner. He is a product manager at Trek, fast roadie, and an all-around awesome dude. After seeing him just before the run-up, and being prompted by Carol to catch him, I drilled it to get on his wheel. He was quick through the power sections, and I fell back a bit. Then, at some technical, and off-camber parts, I got up next to him. Then it opened up again and he would pull in front of me. I knew, however, that I had him in difficulty in the tight, wooded chicane, and made my pass when he rode wide on a left-handed off-camber turn, and I ran the inside line. We were next to each other going into the right-hand hairpin, and coming out. Side-by-side in the squishy-ground straight, and I found the firmer line and drilled it.

I rode alone the rest of the lap and finsihed 16th. Not a podium, but I'll take it.