good start - bad start

Cross season is here.  In one of the cyclingdirt interviews Tim Johnson mentioned how this is like the Christmas time in Belgium....a few less races, but way more travel.  It hurts more to travel that far and race 4 or 5 times in just a weeks time.


So after the 6 hour drive home from Chequamegon I basically had Monday to unpack, do laundry, repack, and switch from MTB season to cross season.  Thats a tough 24 hours in itself...add onto that the trip Vegas and back and it left me feeling a litte tattered heading into the first big weekend of racing at the USGP.

Everyone on the start line was in the same boat though so when they said go all those thoughts disappeared and we were back at it again.  It was fast and furious racing...even more so than Vegas with the dry hard ground and multiple corners there was no room for mistakes.

I had a good jump off of the line, but lost 10 spots around the first 5 corners.  That is not what I wanted....I was able to finish the race strong with a 9th place, but didn't give myself a chance to race with the top guys.

Same things Sunday so I am leaving the weekend with mixed emotions.  Fitness is good, fight is good, just not on the first half lap.  I think I'll get there with a little better prep, some more time on the bike, and some more skinny tire races under the belt.  Next up a trip to the East Coast!  Last time I did this race it was  2005 and it was rad!

http://www.cyclocrossvideos.com/cyclocross_DVDs_previews/DVD_2005-10-29-M-W_Elite_Men_and_Women_preview.html

I just remember watching Anne Knapp crying at the finish because her hands were so cold - Tristan and I both thought...can't be that bad - an hour later we were naked in the back of a mini-van uncontrollably shivering and in a world of pain!  Tristan has video - he would be cool if he could find it and post it up...