DCCX race report

Thanks to John Nagy for the pics!!!

Well....I was kind of tired going into this race and my heart wasn't really in it.  I'd done enough rigorous riding the past week to leave my legs a bit sore so I actually started the race with some soreness.  I almost quit before I started but decided to give it a go since I was already there.

The start was fast and there was a nasty little turn early on.  I had a decent position at first but found myself getting passed left and right by people.  I am just not aggressive enough in crowds.  This led to me getting pushed into the tape by someone, having to get off and run some because of getting caught behind people, and getting completely taken out by someone on this nasty off camber hairpin turn all on the first lap (I hit something hard in that crash....feels like someone hit me in the calf with a bat....I'll feel that for a few days).  That was really disheartening.  People I normally race against were way out of sight and I had little hope of catching them (or so I felt).

One of my teammates (Jay Neighbors) came up behind me during all this and rooted me on.  He was doing awesome so I stuck with him while getting back on my feet.  Things got better as we got away from the less skilled people that seem to like to take me down with them.  I dropped my chain when I bounced my bike going up the stairs on the third lap....that cost me.  I originally thought it was pretty cool because the top bar popped up into my waiting hand like Harry Potter with his broomstick....until I jumped back on and was free spinning... (yes it's almost Halloween and I had to insert a Harry Potter reference.....)

Tom and Jay on the stairs

 I just kept grinding away and was feeling mildly terrible for most of the race.  The leaders pretty much maintained a 1:30 lead on my so I decided I just needed to finish this race.  I could see a pack not far behind me and resolved myself to not get caught by those guys.  I started feeling kind of peppy on the last lap / maybe lap and a half.  I started pushing harder knowing it was almost over.  I walked some guys down and gapped those near me.  I started to feel like my normal self a bit.

I passed a guy a bit before the end and he passed me back a bit later.  Going into the final stretch, I knew I could out sprint him because he looked super tired.  I shifted up, then shifted to the big chain ring....spin spin spin....I LOST MY CHAIN!!!  Even without being able to push, I was still right behind this guy.  I was shifting madly trying to get my chain back.  I finally got it back just before crossing.  I admit that I felt so betrayed by my bike that I threw it away from me when I got off.....gotta work on that anger management.

It could have been worse.  Auggie Plitt from my team got a flat on his 3rd? lap and had to run about 1/4 lap before getting to his pit bike.  Jay Neighbors somehow blew off his valve stem right before the finish and lost some positions from that.  All in all, it was kind of a frustrating 3/4 race for AFC, but we all finished, none of us was really hurt, and we still had fun.

Tom