Two races in NE this last weekend-nice to only drive 2 hours instead of three to get to a race. Norfolk modified their course from last year and did a nice job. If they cut out some of the repetitive weaving through the trees, it would be excellent, but right now it's a shade too technical. Four of us made it up to the race; Dave, Andy and I raced the masters, and Ted and Dave raced the 3s. Jim Winklepleck from Lincoln won the masters on a mountain bike, which was the right bike for the course. I managed to crash on the barriers on the first lap while in 2nd and Winklepleck's gap was too much to overcome. I didn't think I could beat him on this course, and didn't-ended up 2nd. Pioneer's Park might be a different story. Andy was 6th and Dave 8th in the race, riding well on a difficult course with some climbs. Ted was 5th in 3s, riding extremely well.
Sunday I went to Lincoln for the Flatwater race. It's terrific that the Flatwater team put together a well-organized race with a big prize list, but...Van Dorn Park is a poor cx venue. My rant: I know it's a matter of taste, but the VDP course is just a dirt crit. It's too short-only 2 km, if that. Lots of "turn, three pedal strokes, repeat." Almost all turns are slick dirt corners, but only one dismount, no need for power, handling or climbing skills. The pros in Madison averaged 30 kph on a difficult technical course, and I'm willing to bet that was the average for the masters and open winners on this fast course. What differentiates cx from crits are the difficulties: powering through grass, sand or mud, run-ups and other dismounts, off camber riding, and skills aside from cornering on dirt. There's no point in racing, in my view, if you're not challenged by a variety of terrain and obstacles. I was reluctant to start after riding practice laps and dropped out halfway through the first race lap. I just couldn't see staying on that course being bored for the next 40 minutes, and risking a nasty crash. It clearly suited others, but it didn't suit me.
1 comment:
I don't blame you for bailing out. It wasn't a fun course. The atmosphere was good and the enthusiasm was high, but I crashed hard (as did a lot of others with better handling skills than I) and I was never able to enjoy myself or unleash any sort of solid attack.
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