Boss Cross 5

Headed down to Parkville MO, 5 min from where I grew up and raced Boss Cross 5 down at English Landing Park.

What is neat (to me) about this particular race is not only was I a home grown KC north-ender but my first cross race ever was here. 3 years ago the Hippy and I came down and tried out the cross thing. Took our SS MTB down with us and gave it a shot. Both came in DFL and one from DFL but it was the bug that bit us bad! I like to think that running a 32x18 had something to do with the DFL's but that's another story.

Off to racing.... English Landing is pretty flat, which does not suit me at all, but I have been feeling pretty good last couple of races.

Even better, I had the fam down with me! Well most of it anyway..

Yes, I am a lucky man..

Lined up front row (Cat 3) and herd Joe Fox announce that first lap gets a 12 of Boulevard. Hummm, I might just have to push it a little more than I would, see what happens.

Were off and I hit the hole shot about 5 deep. Anyone who had any legs took off about the time we hit the paved trail and thinned out the field quit a bit. There was a technical section by the river that had a sand "run" up which was pretty easy to ride if there wasn't any traffic.

First lap, there was traffic, and we all got stalled out at the top. Got back on the rig and crossed the first lap in 3rd, just missed out on my free Boulevard.

Most of the race consisted of 1&2 dropping me on the flat paved section and me catching back up on the sand/180 turns and the "run" up.

The "run" up

Fast forward to the last couple of laps and I devised a game plan. The plan was have 1&2 play with each other and tire out. I will draft off of them on the pave section and then haul arse to the finish in first.

Well....... Second to last lap we hit the run up, which I have been riding and getting all kinds of time on them and we got into lapped traffic.

We hit the run up and someone was running the uphill on the line and there was no way for me to ride it. This pretty much ended my hopes for the W. The boys had hit it hard on the last lap and there was no way for me to close a gap that big in one lap. Bummer....

Cool thing is we completely left the field behind us, which made me feel a bit of accomplishment. Not as much as a win would have done though!

On another note.. Granted I am not a Cat 1 bad arse, but if you can't ride sections of the course, please don't run on the only line available. Get to the side and run it. Thank you!

RESULTS

ROGERS PICTURES

On another (another) note.. Huge props to Joe A and Chuong D for racing open!

Colavita Cup!!

Raced on Saturday at the Colavita Cup down at Stump Park and Wow! I have to hand it to the Colavita guys, they can make one hell of a cross course!! Every one they put on turns into my favorite courses to race..

 Manions = Flippen Awesome

Colavita Cup = Also Flippen Awesome!

I just love courses that are not pancake flat, get some good elevation change and throw in some off camber 180’s and we have a cross course fellas.

The Cat 3 field was as deep as I have seen it, 39 lined up behind the Open 1, 2’s. We were going the same 50min and starting 20 seconds behind them.

Lined up with the usual suspects and had Travis to contend with for the first time.  My plan was to just hop onto John Williams wheel and see what happens.  For the second time this year at the start I had trouble clipping in, but still hammered the best I could so that I did not get to far behind. About the time I get up and going, JW broke his chain so a new game plan had to be devised.

Got up and going about 6-8 back and on the first lap noticed that guys were having trouble on the off camber stuff and I noticed I was climbing pretty good also. After the first lap and things had calmed down a bit I kept a pretty strong pace (for me anyway). Game plan was to go pretty hard on the climbs and then just hold my spot through the technical areas.

Here is Doan's cam of the first lap. He had be beat til we hit the barriers when I pass him, think he held on for the rest of the rest of race a couple guys back. Good race for him..

After several laps in I started dropping the field, yet the top 3 were hauling arse and you could tell. I kept passing 4^th place at the same spot on a switchback each lap so I knew he was in range but I wasn’t making any headway.  

Last couple laps in and I had caught and passed a couple open 1/2’s which I thought was too cool. Only other times I raced behind them, I had a nice DNF with a  crash and a mechanical.

About the time I got to start feeling good about myself was about the same time I got lapped by Joe Schmalz. Holy hell batman, that will humble you in a hurry. I did however make a pivital decision at this point, im gonna hold his effing wheel up this hill if it kills me... Which I did, then I blew up, it was great..Anyway, not to much longer after that came Elwell and then Coe.

Coming down to the last couple laps I pull an Andy Schleck and downshifted like a moron and dropped my chain. I was sitting 5^th chasing 4^th and got passed while putting my chain back on. While I thought we had one more lap I thought to myself not to panic, just get going and put in a good dig up the hill and pass him back there if I can.

Once we get towards the end of the lap, over the ditch named Mrs. Stiches I see the guy looking back. Immediately I knew that only meant one thing… S*^T!!!! This was the last lap... I wondered if being lapped by some of the open guys would affect the number of laps we had left, and now I knew… Owe well.. I had a good race, and it was a blast!!

RESULTS HERE

Here is a great example of what I am talking about when some of these folks have a really hard time riding off camber sections.

 That guy got drilled, hope he is alright..

On another quick note, Jake (Rider for Colavita) was hit by a SUV sometime last week or so. Send him some good mojo so he can get back on his ride and start kicking are are butts again..