1 mile course. Starts at the top of a hill. Goes into a 100 degree left turn, then flying down a hill to a speed bump at the bottom. About 3 feet long and 6 inches high was the speed bump. We were getting plenty of air going 38 mph down. Definitely needed to since you needed the momentum to get back up the hill. Towards the top you have 90 degree left turn and then a 110 degree right turn...then 300 meters to the finish.
Matt and I started in the back again. From the gun it was fast. Everyone was fighting to get down the hill towards the front so they wouldn't be victim to the slingshot effect of people pulling their brakes before the bump.
There were 18 laps and the field was 75 riders strong. Everyone their looked fit and ready to race the hill.
The first 5 laps I worked towards mid pack but never really felt good. By then Matt was up front tearing things up and causing havic. Finally I rev'd the engine and sprinted to the top of the hill and got in the top 10 positions. That woke my legs up and I was finally comfortable. No one was able to get away. Every lap was really fast and their was never any break in the race...just constant pedaling and fighting for position.
I kept pedaling as efficiently as possible trying to save everything for the finish. With 3 laps to go Matt and I were in great position and feeling good. On the last lap I was top 8 and Matt was in the front going down the hill. I crushed it halfway up the hill and then pulled aside to save a little for the sprint. Everyone's eyes were popping out the by then and their was alot of sketchy riders. Some trying to hold wheels, others just blowing up half way up the hill and stopping whle the 75 rider field tried negotiating their bikes around them. I was lucky this only happened to me 3 times.
Just as we got to the top Matt and I were ready to go. Just two more corners and a sprint. I knew Matt had it and I would have top 5 easy...I couldn't believe our position, about 5 riders back from the leader with plenty of time to get around.
Suddenly a guy was pedaling and looking down and apparently the guy in front of him slowed up, and he road straight into him falling down, taking Matt down with him, and causing the guy next to him to jerk over, pushing me off the course, so I jumped the curb road on the grass a few meters, hopped back on. There were only 7 riders in front of me and I looked down and sprinted to get momentum...my legs still felt great and wound up ready to go...then I hear a crash again, this time a kid clipped his pedal on the last turn and I had to jump the curb again...a bunch of riders got through on the inside, but I was on the grass...just missing a telephone pole...I hopped back on the course and sprinted hoping for a top 15...I ended up with 14th place out of 75...$25!
Matt ended up with road rash...nothing broken or anything bad...hopefully we'll have a group to go down to Tulsa this weekend. See everyone then!
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