5/17 Rt66 Winsted Woods & EFTA Glocester
= Scott Brooks - Rt66 Winstead Woods - Cat1 (7th) =
I arrived at the race, with enough time to register and change, but not enough time to pre-ride the course. The temps were in the lower 50s which was pretty darn cold. Standing at the start line, I was pleased to see that the numbers swelled from 2 pre-reg names to 11.
Glancing around, I realized that I didn’t know anyone. I’m still very new to this sport. The course started in a lower parking lot, then up a hill to the fields with a quick right then left and into the woods where it narrowed to singletrack. Knowing the importance of positioning, as soon as the whistle blew, I attacked. Going up the rise I had a small lead and was able to make it to the singletrack first. With a previous days rain creating lots of mud and puddles, and coming from years of road racing, I immediately started too slow.
First one, then another and a third guy passed me. I settled into fourth place and comfortably rode with this group for a couple of minutes. As we made it to the first fast downhill section on a fire road, I realized my rear tire had gone flat. No neutral support in mountain bike racing, so I pulled to the side of the course and set to fix my tire. The entire field I started in passed me, as did the entire field that started two minutes behind, and I’m pretty certain a third field passed me. The effects of starting cold, red-lining for 10 minutes, then stopping and changing a tire were very overwhelming.
Staying calm, I completed the repair, got on my bike and tried to start racing again. The next two laps were almost absolute solo events. The hardest thing in cycling is being off the back of the group and still trying to go as hard as you can to reconnect. Just when I was about to give up mentally, I passed a friend who supported my effort by telling me that everyone else was tiring, that I still had the strength to go. This was enough to snap me out of my funk and get going again. The next lap and a half saw me passing loads of riders.
Although, in mountain biking, it’s almost impossible to know who you are racing against, as many fields are on course at one time. All I could do was just go..go..go. Two hours and ten minutes after I started, I crossed the line in seventh place. There’s always the would have, could have, should have thoughts, such as if I hadn’t lost three minutes with a flat, my time would have been good enough for…but those thoughts won’t change the standings.
I’m pleased with just mentally hanging in there. Reviewing the series points, my seventh place was good enough to move me up into third place overall in the series, that is enough of a reward in itself!!!
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Wayne Cunningham – Rt66 Winstead Woods – Cat1 (dnf)
I made the long haul down to CT for the Winsted Woods race. I hadn’t done it before and didn’t know what to expect; I pre-rode the ~4 mile loop to find out it had a lot of climbing in the opening 1/4 of the lap. The course was pretty technical, too, and I still haven’t developed very good technical skills. So I knew the race was going to be a challenge.
The race started with a short paved uphill section over a curb, around a grass field, and into the single track woods for the climbing. It was rocky and muddy from rain the day before. On the first lap, I was stalled by a rider in front of me; after getting by him I was second to last on the course. I fought each lap to make up the time I lost in the first section, but I knew I was just losing anything gained once I got back to it.
On lap 3 of 4 I flatted on a long fast rocky decent. My first CO2 cartage misfired and went every where but into the tire. The second worked fine, but wasn’t enough to make the tire rideable. I jogged along for a while but then started walking after the race leader passed me on his final lap – I still had one to go. So a DNF for me – not my favorite way to end a race.
The start to my season has been a struggle. This weekend I am going to race up in VT at Coyote Hill, including the short track on Saturday, and hope to turn things around.
Thanks for reading.
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Kurt Johnson – EFTA Glocester – Expert
So four months to the day from my H/A and spending five days in the hospital I set out to do my first full length mtn bike race yesterday . The rain stopped as we arrived at the venue I registered walked a little of the start and finish to make sure I liked my setup then changed and prerode most of the course as my warm-up.
At the start line the usual talk then the line up and we’re off 150 in it funnels down and start the turn as we do a rider rides into my front wheel and takes me out, I hit the deck hard right tricep lands hard on something and almost get run over .
I jump up grab my bike and go as hard as I can to catch back on the end of the pack who is now however far in front of me after a few minutes I start catching a rider or two meanwhile the group that started after us I’m sure cant be far behind . So I ride as hard as i can for the neat lap and a half catching a few and playing cat and mouse with a couple going into lap three after using all I had for over two laps of technical rocks, roots and mud and slop, my engine had no more and I started to get sloppy so I cut it back some maybe to much the last lap.
Lost three minutes to one of the guys I had been riding with so all in all I will say health wish I should be thankful that I’m even racing BUT the racer in me is very bummed that I could not hold my own at pace for the whole race. I did not come in last at least but not where I should have. All my equipment performed well just not the engine Ill have to work on that I don’t know if it was all me or how much is medicine affected .
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Les Bethel – EFTA Glocester – Novice Masters (1st)
A couple of month’s back I bought my 1st ever (used) mountain bike, andtook it out 10 or so times prior to Sunday’s race at Glocester. I’m notsure how I got by all these years without a mountain bike. It’s been reallygreat. But the course at Glocester was way, way harder than any trail I’veridden on. Lucky for me the bike’s pretty sturdy because I slammed into alot of rocks. But often times I sheltered it from the blow. Regardless, Ihad a great time and will be back for the next race.
I lined up with the Novice Veterans and Masters, not having any idea whatto expect, but the others were mostly in the same boat. I had no idea whatline to take through the rocky sections. I just went into them as hard as Icould, hoping to work it out one rock at a time. I remember Wayne tellingme that a voluntary dismount is preferred, which isn’t how it worked outfor me. I spent way too much energy getting through the rocky sections, andcould only rest on the easy parts. I should probably have ran or walkedthrough the rocks, and then went full out on the easy parts, but I learn mylessons the hard way. I was actually a lot better on the second lap, onlygetting off the bike 3 or 4 times. I did not see another rider for over anhour, and was never able to get into a rhythm. But I did finally finish andlearned that I was generally competitive with the other novices. I wouldeven have been competitive in the Sports class, so I may move up after arace or two.
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Michael Good – EFTA Maine Sport Mayhem – Expert (11th)
Michael went off to Maine from the Sunapee race and experienced the joy of Maine peanutbutter mud. This was more of a SPA treatment rather than a high speed race.