Jefferson Barracks
After a season of warm and dry cyclocross the conditions have taken a turn for the worse. Last weekend was the treacherous mud and slop of Mount Pleasant. This weekend almost similar. No rain to speak of but cloudy, cool temps around 40 degrees and ground that was rather saturated from a day and night of steady, light rain.
Two-thirds of the course was non-technical except for a short kicker of an uphill. What it lacked in technical aspects, it made up for in grinding uphills. The last third was more turny with a handful of tricky little turns.
Even with a front row starting spot, I still only got an average start. But, an average start from the front row makes for a much easier race than having to grind through 10-15 riders for a place near the top 10. It was not an easy race, though. My back was aching for the final three laps. I wanted to settle into cruise mode but I was gradually reeling in Patrick from Off the Front.
With half a lap to go, I pass him on the LOOONG uphill. I hold him through the remaining turns and even opened up a decent sized gap. I hit the finishing pavement and accelerated for a little bit since he did not seem to be giving up. I eased up and looked back. He still kept charging so I gave it a few more pedals strokes and crossed the line about a half bike ahead for a satisfactory 9th place. Or, so I thought
After the race I was listed in 10th. I compared race number to the start list names and my 10th place wasn't a matter of getting a lapped rider mixed in with the leaders. Instead they had me being beaten to the line by Patrick. How can I dispute that without a finish line camera, regardless of how confident I was. I contacted an official this afternoon seeking clarification about the finish and whether I was confused about my placing.
As I was typing this blog, I received confirmation that 9th place is mine. Yay!!! In the big picture 9th place vs 10th place is not a big deal. But, I fought hard for that place and earned it. And, that place may get me a slightly better starting spot at Nationals in January.
Two-thirds of the course was non-technical except for a short kicker of an uphill. What it lacked in technical aspects, it made up for in grinding uphills. The last third was more turny with a handful of tricky little turns.
Even with a front row starting spot, I still only got an average start. But, an average start from the front row makes for a much easier race than having to grind through 10-15 riders for a place near the top 10. It was not an easy race, though. My back was aching for the final three laps. I wanted to settle into cruise mode but I was gradually reeling in Patrick from Off the Front.
With half a lap to go, I pass him on the LOOONG uphill. I hold him through the remaining turns and even opened up a decent sized gap. I hit the finishing pavement and accelerated for a little bit since he did not seem to be giving up. I eased up and looked back. He still kept charging so I gave it a few more pedals strokes and crossed the line about a half bike ahead for a satisfactory 9th place. Or, so I thought
After the race I was listed in 10th. I compared race number to the start list names and my 10th place wasn't a matter of getting a lapped rider mixed in with the leaders. Instead they had me being beaten to the line by Patrick. How can I dispute that without a finish line camera, regardless of how confident I was. I contacted an official this afternoon seeking clarification about the finish and whether I was confused about my placing.
As I was typing this blog, I received confirmation that 9th place is mine. Yay!!! In the big picture 9th place vs 10th place is not a big deal. But, I fought hard for that place and earned it. And, that place may get me a slightly better starting spot at Nationals in January.
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