Drove the million miles up to Davisburg,Michigan for the first cross races of the season. It is always a reality check. Cyclo-X is really a hard sport. Especially the first couple. Jeff and Robert, the promoters for these UCI races have promoting down. They treat the riders super nice and everything is perfect from registration to course prep.

This is a two day race. There were only around 40 guys in each race, but a fair amount of pretty good riders. Johnathan Page. A trio of Swiss guys. Canadian National Cross Champion, etc.

I was supposed to be on all new equipment, but it was not to be. I ended up putting my Eriksen back together again on Thursday. It’s a perfect cyclo-x bike, so I have no complaints. I only brought one bike because I’m flying to Las Vegas today and have my road bike there already.

But, I did have some problem equipmentwise. Saturday I was having problems with my chain staying on. It came off double digit times. Last season, same setup it never came off once. Go figure.

It was really hot, mid 80’s. I got a good start and was in a small group of 3. On the 2nd lap, my chain popped off for the first time. Page attacked. I got frustrated. Whatever. I ended up 6th. I was mildly lucky getting that place. I took myself out of the mix fumbling around with my bike. I should of been in the hunt for 3rd. Page won easily. He was in a league of his own. Then Swiss guy. Canadian.

Sunday, it was much cooler. Lower 70’s. Much more enjoyable. I got a good start again. Page got away on the first lap. I’d put on a front derailluer and shortened my chain a link. I was riding in a group that was going for 3-6th. I washed out my rear wheel on a off camber section and was separated from a group of 3. Then I noticed my rear tire was low. I rode nearly a lap on virtually no pressure. I hadn’t put my wheels into the pit, so didn’t know where they were. Dumb mistake. Anyway, I got to the pit, found my wheels after a while and got going sans rear brake. My spare wheels didn’t have the same width rim was my race wheels. Dumb mistake two. I took me awhile to figure out have to ride the course with only a front brake. I’d already been passed by one guy and was caught by the group going for 8th through 10th. I though, “shit, I’m going to get only 1 measly UCI point.” Anyway, I got going prettty good on the last two laps, dropped the group and caught back up to the guy that passed me when I was in the pit. So, I had to sprint. I totally smeared the guy by about 3 inches. Maybe less. 6th again. Pretty lucky again I guess.

Catherine Walberg, who is riding for Trek now with a few other midwest ringers, got 3rd both days. Something like 24 UCI points. Pretty good. She wasn’t near her best, so that is a encouraging sign for the rest of the season.

So, I can’t complain too much. I was riding alright. I’m at Midway airport waiting to fly to Las Vegas. Racing the Vegas Cross Wednesday night, USA Criterium Finals Thursday night, then fly back to the Midwest for the UCI Cross races in Madison this weekend. That is 6 races in 9 days. With 5 being cyclo-x races. Right. Doesn’t sound that smart to me either. Guess you don’t know until you do it.

Jonathan Page and I at a Q & A thing at the Kinetics Bicycle Shop after Saturdays race. Pretty relaxed.

Sprint 2nd Day between Mike Sherer & myself.

Cross Vegas. I had high hopes for a good result. But, in the back of my mind, I think I was still shell shocked from last year’s experience here to be too comfortable with any thoughts of success. It didn’t go too well.

The Cross Vegas course is a pretty unusual cyclo-X. It is mainly on 3 inch super thick grass. Super resistance. No technical aspect at all. I actually just rode road tires on my ‘cross bike. The photographers had a field day with that.

Last year I started so hard that I coughed little nodules out of my lungs for a week or so. It wasn’t only me, it was a lot of the riders who had the same problem. I’m not sure if it is the dry air or pollution or fertilizer on the soccer fields, but it isn’t a normal thing. This year I thought I’d try to start slower, after warming up harder. It only shuffled me further back in the field as far as I can tell.

Lance showed up to race. Rumors had him coming and he came. He lined up on the 4th row, and got a pretty good start, I think. Because before a lap was over, I heard the enormous crowd yelling for him pretty close behind me. I was in his group for the next couple laps. Somewhere between 20 and 30th places. Then, a guy in front of me crashed in a corner and I hit him straight on. It took me a while to untangle our bikes and by then I was completely out of any kind of mix I would of been happy with. There are only 15 places for UCI points and I was not going to get anywhere near that place. And, I took a systems check and realized I had already hurt myself, lungwise, pretty substantially. So, I bagged it.

I hate quitting races, but I paid for that last year. For a couple weeks. And I’m racing the USA Criterium Finals tomorrow night and then flying to Madison for two more UCI ‘Cross Races, so I actually don’t feel so bad about the decision.

Anyway, Thomas Frischknecht was here doing his last race in the US. He and I travelled together the first season he came to the US for MTB racing, so I’ve known him for a while. I had only raced ‘cross against him once, in California, a few years back and he crashed and I finished 3rd, so it gave him a chance to even the score. He was in the front group of 14 all race and finished somewhere in the top ten, I think. His statement to me was that if I did one more race then I would “survive” him in the sport. I thought that was a strange way to put it, but you know how foreigners sometime use English words in a weird context and they sound good. That is how this came out. It was great to race with him one last time.

Ryan Trebon won easily again. He has an enormous amount of horsepower. Tim Johnson was 2nd, sporting his National Championship jersey and Adam Craig had a good ride for 3rd.

OK. Got on the asleep at 2 am schedule again. I like the late night racing, but it kind of screws up the day a bit. Better get to sleep.

Thomas and I at the start line.

Lance from behind. Pretty good definition, huh.