Smithville CX

photo by ROGER

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Did the SS and the Open race at Smithville today. The course was awesome. Very similar to last year but with a few extra turns thrown in that made it slightly more technical. The beach was far more easier to ride this year b/c the sand was a little wet and it packed up nice. Some ruts formed but it was still fast and the bank up from the wet area was way hard and fast. Cross Guru thought he made the run-up unridable this year, but he's going to have to try harder if he wants to keep me from pedaling up it- bwaaah-haa-ha...
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I was excited to start the SS race on my new White Ind./Sun wheelset. Britton and I both got a good start and went into the first turns with the front riders. He and I rode with two other riders for a lap and a half or so and then he shot off the front coming out of the lake. I got onto Hammontree's wheel and stuck there for awhile to see if Britton would ride away with it. He dangled for awhile and then started to pull away a little, so I went around Hammontree and Britton and I finished out the race together in front. We got 1-2. It was my first win in awhile.
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In the Open race, I got stuck behind 3 pile-ups within the first minute of racing. It was over before it started for me. I finally got through the bottleneck of the first few turns and started cruising but I was either trying to go way too fast and overcooking everything or Vittoria Evo's suck compared to Michelin Muds. I was all over the course and couldn't hold a line with the Vittorias so on the second lap I pitted and traded my geared bike for my SS with the Michelins and finished out the race on it. I was having more fun on it anyway. I managed to catch and pass a few fellows but more importantly, I had a blast on the awesome Smithville course.
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Teammate Andy won the 2/3 race so he and I mixed our 6-pack winnings of Weston Brewing Festival Ale and Wheat. I'm enjoying one of each now.