We were able to sleep in after getting into Cincinnati late Thursday night.  And since the race start times were late in the afternoon, a proper team breakfast was in order.  Zach and Naz had gone to the grocery store while I started making pancakes and eggs.  A few cups of coffee later and with full bellies we were on our way to the course.  It was not until we arrived that I realized we were racing somewhere I had raced before. We had a few hours to hang out as we watched all the races and pre-rode a few more laps

The fast guys were starting to filter into the course and the crowd.  Powers, Wicks, Bishop, Prebo.  Their fast pace was sure to make a bumpy and rough course even more grueling.

The course itself was actually very similar to how it was designed the year before.  There were some super fast pavement sections.  There were also a few really sweet roller coaster swooping sections.  The one set of barriers was standard, but there was also another log over run up right before the start finish straight that was really tricky.  A down hill off camber right turn, to the log and straight up the hill.  It got more and more difficult as the race went on.

Julie and I were trying a new nutritional method today and it seemed to work really well.  I was given number 28 which put me in the 4th row.  I pulled in behind Marko and Brian on the right fence.  The first lap was modified a little in order to give us a longer lead out and from the get go I had problems.  I know I need to focus on my starts, but it does not help when you start in the little ring.  And to top it off, what I thought would have been a good leadout train was not so hot.  With the little gear and a little bit of pushing I was off the lead group and being forced into the fence.

I pushed hard and made some good moves to gain position through the first lap.  A hot start strung everyone out quickly and I found myself on the tail end of a large group covering what I’d later find was the high teens.  I got lucky, avoiding a couple pile ups and fallen riders in the first lap and established myself at around twenty.

Coming onto the pavement for the start finish area through the first lap, I could not get the front derailer to put the chain on the big ring, so as my group stood up and sprinted, I spun as fast as I could to try to maintain.  Past the pit and I let Julie know.  We switched bikes and the B bike had the same problem.  It was frustrating to know guys were going to just ride away from me in sections, but I tried to maintain a steady pace and catch up in the technical sections.  It worked for the most part, and through the pit the second time it was pretty rad to have someone helping Julie and I was able to hand off to one person and grab the bike from Julie.  It was also pretty encouraging to have someone else in the pit the first time through, as I remounted and rode out say, “That was a great switch!”

With two to go and no idea how I was performing or where I was placed I needed to make a move around a rider.  He was slowing a little and two or three riders behind us were trying to catch us.  As the first rider finished working to catch us, I stood on the pedals and worked to gap them, hoping the new rider had spent too much in trying to catch us.  It worked, thus completing my first ever tactical cycling move.  I pushed through to the final lap and one of the riders was able to bridge up to me and was pushing for the next rider I was making a move on.  He made contact, but they both rode away from me.  Pushed to hold off one final rider and a hard effort to the line.  I finished the race strong, happy that I was able to put an effort in late in the race.  I finished 23rd of over 40.

The course was brutal.  Bumpy is an understatement and I am afraid I may have spent too much today.  And my placing was better than I thought I was doing during the race, but I am still not thrilled with it.  The good news is that hopefully, with a better start and points 20 deep on Sunday, that one little point seems to be in my reach.

Another home cooked meal, host housing rules!  3lbs of pasta, garlic bread and chicken breast makes a great post race meal.  And the group we are with this weekend is fantastic.  If this is any sort of precursor for nationals, it is going to be a riot.  The quote of the weekend so far comes from Zach, “F*&# me like a Frenchman!”  Photo from: Naz