I had been looking forward to the start of the Chicago Cyclocross Cup. I had trained early in the year on the road, for the mountain bike races, and fell into the road racing more than I had thought I would. So I raced both through the season. With my first serious year of racing, this was going to be a great mix. Last year was the first year I ever even watched a cyclocross race (Jackson Pk). And then I had to try it, 4B at Carpenter Pk and Lansing last year on a mountain bike. I did not do so well but set my goal, top 5 in 2008 for 4B. Then midway through the season I changed it to 4A, because I had some success on the road and in the trails. I even sold two old bikes and some painting equipment to buy a cross bike. Then I started to help Greg Heck out with the course and the barriers, what fun and what a way to get into Cyclocross. So you could see why I was looking forward to the start of Jackson Park.

Jackson Park

The starting line at Jackson Park, ‘Why is Kirby and Ed lining up in the same races as me?’ Something is wrong here. Intimidating? Yes. Did I make the right move by being in the 4A? Now I am nervous. If they are in here, who else is? Oh Crap. All I could think of is getting out quick, after seeing Jeff Holland getting cut off at the start in the 3’s. And then there it was. The first turn is coming up quick. I on the left and Ed and Kirby coming on the right. The first three spots into turn one are all xXx. I yell out ‘Nice Start’, to the boys as we accelerate out of the turn. The pace was hot right away, but what do you expect riding with those two. I know Kirby has some mountain biking experience, and it is Ed’s first cyclocross race. My only hope is to hang on and try and make up any gaps in the technical sections. Ryan Cooper, from Flatlandia, passes us before the first technical section, and I am now sitting fourth wheel.

The first section goes smoothly but notice that my lines through are much different then my teammates. Then coming into the third barrier I yell out some profanity. Ed and Kirby come to a complete stop right before the barrier. Sorry about the words but I lost all my momentum and was a little hot. Come to find out later that they had no idea that barrier was even there. So I ran between them and got back on to Ryan’s wheel through the spiral and the first barrier. Soon after the barrier, Ed and Kirby went right around me in the wide-open sections and I just tried to hang on. They were really good about encouraging me to stay there, but it was tough. So that is how it went for the first three laps, Back and fourth, Kirby and Ed got around me in the open sections and I caught them and got around them in the other half of the course.

My calculations figured we would do five laps, so if I push it and keep up it is a fourth place for me. We had created a big gap on the rest of the field, but then again, Ryan created a big gap on us. I never looked at the lap counter on the third lap but coming up to the fourth I was looking for one to go. No such luck, 2 to go. Oh crap, I am hurting, and as we go around the baseball field, Kirby is no longer with Ed and I. I own my performance to Ed here. Even though he ran into the third barrier every lap and lost time in the turns, he caught me and kept pushing me to keep the pace up. We laughed at the barriers and I cried in the straights. Great pictures Luke, Thanks.

Coming up to the bell lap, Ed had gotten about 25 yards on me from the open sections and I was ready to settle in for a third place finish, because the pain was really starting to settle in on me. As I round the first corner a familiar face starts screaming, jumping around like a monkey, ringing the Bone Bell and yelling, ‘Catch Ed’!!! And as I round the baseball there is Parker again yelling, ‘Catch Ed’. Then I get it from Paolo and Greg. Having the dirtbags there yelling, changed things. The race no longer became a matter of keeping up with Ed and riding with my teammate. It became a dirtbag / roadie race. I don’t know if that is the proper thing to say as far as the team goes, but that is what happened mentally with me. I did not care about the placing anymore. I just needed to get enough space between Ed and I in the first half of the course to be able to hold him off in the end. And I needed to do it now.

I rode clean lines through the first couple of turns and caught him by the first barriers and the passed him on the inside by the 2nd one at the top of the hill. I continued to pull away and the third barrier helped me out some more, or should I say Ed. As we came out of the spiral, the Cuttin Crew was yelling, ‘He dropped his chain’. I barely hear it and did not understand. I just kept pushing. Then I hear Ed from behind at the last barrier mounting his bike, but he landed on his man berries. It did not sound good. I made sure he was Ok, and he yelled, ‘Go, Go, Go’. So I did. I think I might be able to hold him off now. At the far side of the course Ed is yelling that I am in first. I think it is a ploy to get me to easy up. All I am thinking of is holding him off. With a little more than a quarter mile left, I now have about 25yrds on Ed and his is coming into some turns and I am hitting an open sections. I sprint until I can’t stand on the pedals, sit down and then do it again and again and one more time on the asphalt. I turn around and expect to see Ed gaining fast but he is not. I come to the line and I did it. I held him off. When Ed crosses the line, he congratulates me on the win. As I find out, it was Ryan that had dropped his chain and Ed and I did pass him. Wow. I am in disbelief. A win. All I could do is thank Ed for helping. I did not tell him about the whole dirtbag / roadie thing, but I am sure he knew.

What a great day. Greg Heck does put on a great race. From early in the morning, setting up the course with the team, everyone working to make things just right, so many people at the race, the great weather, great course, and a great team, what else could you ask for?

Cat up for Dekalb?

A number of teammates tell me to cat up to 3 now. It is time to adjust my goals? But this is the first race as a 4A. Now I might be able to win the Cup? That is a new goal. I post the question on the team’s site and the response is the same as after the race. I decide to take Greg’s advice and do one more in the 4’s to make sure.

I showed up early to watch the 3’s and we have a good number of teammates in the race. I had fun cheering them on and liked the idea of racing with so many xXxer’s. I scoped out the course while I yelled and scream to them to go faster or pick off another rider. And at times they yelled back at me. I wanted a good warm-up and to really get to know the course before the race. It was going to be wet and technical, so I rode it three times before the race along with a warm up. Now to get to the start early for a spot on the line and I am good to go.

Here is the short of it. Kirby is there, but where is Ed? Great start. First into the first turn and then through the next couple. First to fall and lose eight spots. Work hard to make up for mistake. Get to the front again. Recover. Watch others fall and make up more spots. Group of four get off. Attack at the 2nd barrier to get the lead with a little more than a lap to go. Fall into the tree at the finally turn going into the bell lap. Lose 30 yards. Work hard again to make up for mistake. Catch up at the second 2nd barrier. Recover, sorry no time. Attack at the top of the hill on the asphalt, but can only get around the Cuttin’ Crew guys. Push the pace hoping the leader will slip or take a bad line. No dice. Sprint at the finish but cannot get around him. 2nd Place.

Thanks again to a great team and all the support. It really makes it easy to push yourself to the limit and have the pride for xXx Racing when there are so many good people on the team helping each other out. Another great race. Another goal change. Another Category? See you guys in the 3’s very soon. Hopefully Hawthorne.