Dave Randleman and I headed down Saturday to Swope Park in KC for the KC Cross Cup, the inaugural race of the CX season. It was very warm (85F) and humid, so not exactly cross weather. The course was super technical: 40% single track, one long road section, a set of easy low boards that could be bunny hopped (I ran them-just as fast for me), and three mazes. Fields were decent sized-total masters was 50 people, with 24 in Dave's 40+ race, and 15 in my group, the 50+; it looked like 30-50 riders in every heat.
Dave had a lousy start, which on this course was a disaster. After starting out in DFL entering the holeshot, Dave passed a boatload of people during the race. Never heard a final lap bell, so he had no idea what lap we were on, so missed the opportunity to pass a couple of guys on the last lap (thinking there was another lap left to pass), but still ended up in a solid 10th place.
If you hit the single track behind a slow racer, you could wave anyone in front of you good-bye. I started fine, and in second place just before we hit the single track section. The guy just in front of me shot by a really slow guy from another group wobbling all over on the single track, and I and a couple of guys behind me were stuck. After some begging and cursing, the slow guy let us by, but the first place guy was gone. So, time to chase the rest of the way. After dropping the 2 guys behind me, the leader was finally in sight within a couple of laps. Just like Dave, I never heard a final lap bell and had no idea when the race was going to end. Luckily, I caught him with was to be a half a lap to go and won 50+ masters by a couple of seconds.
It was a entertaining race, and great practice for the rest of the season. the 360 guys did a really nice job of promoting it, and I would recommend it to anyone that doesn't mind a very technical course.
