Sunday started almost exactly the same as Saturday.  Coffee, breakfast and then pack up the room and get to the course.  It was just a tad bit warmer, the banks were saying 31 degrees, frost all over everything.  The second day seems to be a little more laid back, but that is probably because everyone is still exhausted from the day before.  Dan, Jason, Mike and I all set up shop over in the sand pit to make some noise for the early racers.  In short we were pretty crazy, bringing every tip we have learned from the Milwaukee superfans.  I commandeered the CD player and found the local metal station, and continued to shout things like "ride the tiger" at all the racers.  It was pretty fun and I am pretty hoarse today.  After that I needed to settle down a little and get the nerves under control.  Spent some time in the car warming up the toes and then another fifty trips to the washroom before I was warming up and then lining up.  I did not do too much pre-riding because the course did not change much from day one to day two.

 

 

 

The leadout was longer and almost the entire first half of the race was in this flat grass section.  The barriers were in the same place and in the same direction.  The first technical section was a 180 turn up a steep incline that continued to ride up the off camber hill we came down yesterday.  Not as high up the hill or slippery, but it was still a challenge.  At the top it was right back down a pretty steep sweeping turn, nice and fast which lead to the bottom of the run-up (or in the case of the Todd Wells power fest ride up).  It was really steep, right after a 90 degree turn with two logs at the bottom.  How these guys were riding it is beyond me.  So I'll say about 30 or 40 yards to the top and around the corner, but once atop the steep section there was another 100 yards to ride to the top.  It was a place I did really well the first six laps, it is where I almost came to a complete stop on the last lap.  Atop the hill, it was straight back down, super fast into the back field section of the course.  The really rutted corners from the day before were bad because the ruts were going in the wrong direction.  They took out the sand pit, for the UCI races, because the section through the gate was not 3 meters wide, which is a UCI regulation.  So that kind of sucked because I liked it alot.  Otherwise the twists and turns through the barns were the same and the finish straight was super fast.

 

 The line up was the same as the first day, so once again I was in the second row right behind Tristan.  I had a different plan for this race though.  I wanted to see if by throwing down the hammer right from the gun and holding my start position would help my finishing position.  At the gun I had a pretty good start.  I was riding probably close to top ten for a little bit.  I was not allowing anyone around me, and when they did sneak around i made sure no one could hold his wheel.  Over the barriers and into the first little climb in about the same position.  I jockeyed with some riders on the run up and was sitting 11th.  I had surprised myself.  Matter and Marko were right there, I could hear people shouting for them.  In the back field area I lost a couple spots but was still with a pretty big group.  Over the line on the first lap, 13th.  We stayed in the group to the run up which was insane on the second lap, the sound was deafening.  I couldn't help anything but a huge grin on my face  and then I raised my hand, threw up the metal horns and stuck out my tongue as I rounded the corner at the top.  It was so awesome!  Riding with Brian and Marko I secretly knew that it would not be long until I was off the back of the group and so it went somewhere in the back section of the course they dropped me.  It wasn't long before Dewey blew past me out of the last barn.  Riding in no mans land was tough.  The wind was relentless and the open grass sections were either super fast with the wind or super hard against it.  I managed to hold my position over the next couple laps and then got caught by a couple guys and dropped to 16th.  Again by myself I was pushing as another group of three worked hard to close in on me.  I was able to hold them off for a couple laps, pushing it hard up the hill and keeping them off my tail.  With two to go they made their efforts stick and all got by me.  The next person back was way back and working alone also, so I just needed to keep pace over the last lap.  The run up on that last lap was miserable.  Tim was still waiting up top and shouted and gave me a dollar!  He chased me all the way to the top, and was just the encouragement I needed because I was almost stopped trying to walk up that hill.  Yes, walk, there was not any more running up the hill.  Everything at this point was painful, but I was almost done with only the drive in front of me, so I tried to never really let up and gave it everything.  Over the line they were already calling up Tristan onto the podium for his third place finish.

 

 As the season winds down I am making mental notes on how I need to improve.  I have raced cyclocross 14 times this year and not once has there been mud, rain, snow or ice.  Also, the majority of the courses have been powerfests, with a considerable amount of the course being on flat grass out in the open.  And this weekend was no exception.  It seems like my strengths lay on the areas of the course that require confidence, and the long grass straight always are far from that.  I need to work on maintaining the high speed these guys are pulling through the flat open sections of the course.  I need to not rely on cyclocross being technical.  I did really well on the courses that I felt suited me; Virginia, Janesville.  That is where I felt the strongest.  I can defiantly tell I am getting better and faster, but there is still alot of room to improve.  A huge thank you to all the people who cheered for me.  Tim stuck around all day to watch me race as did Jason.  Dan came out and did not even race.  Everyone did awesome as well.  Mike battled it out for 9th on Sunday.  Holly blew her field away for the win and Kevin took third on the second day as well.  Stole the photos from Madcross and here.  It was a nice trip and I am completely wrecked.  I was nothing besides heavenly to return home to family last night.