Granogue Cyclocross and First Place!

Actually the title is misleading....don't expect a 1st place from me in cross!

Starting with the latter - My daughters had a 3v3 soccer tournament on Sunday with the Hockessin Soccer Club. I was asked to coach my older daughters team and then try to watch my younger daughters games in between - so I though this would be a excellent day to leave the camera at home and just focus on watching my kids play.

Maeve (older daughter) had an unfortunate day and went 0-4 in U12. The kids played great - better than I think they had all year, the unfortunate part was they were short a player at the start (up to 6 players on a team) and a week prior to the tournament - lost another player to injury - so they would have to play with 4 players (only 1 sub) vs other teams with 2-3 subs. Big difference especially since they had back to back games twice. The one sub we did have I tried to rotate in every minute so at most they would play 3 minutes with a 1 minute rest - still they were very tied but played their hearts out! I'll take some of the blame as well as I have no experience with 3v3 play and did not really know how to coach this game - I played soccer in high school, college and many years after that, but 3v3 play is very different. We also did not have any practices prior to help the kids with 3v3. I now kind of understand the principles and keys of a 3v3 game so if I get roped into coacing again, I'll have a better understanding.

My younger daughter had an opposite day and went undefeted in the U8 age group - I think it was 5-0. Coach was realistic advising most parents prior to the tournament that there was a team of older girls that would be near impossible to beat - they were that good. We beat then twice!! The kids played great and in the semi final game it actually ended in a shoot-out (after overtime) with Ella's team winning the shootout - off to the finals. There was an A and B group in the division which was supposed to be A=your stronger team B=...your "B" team. Rumor had it that "One" coach switch his teams putting his A team in the B division so he will make it to the finals. Ella's team put the underdog hurting on this team with a pretty decisive win - I think the final score was around 6-3.

Both kids (and us parents) were proud of how well they played. Maeve has come along way and improves each week. Smart player who understands the play of soccer and will improve each season. Ella is fearless and will play against anyone, anysize. Once she learns a bot more control will develop into a strong player as well.

Both are already talking about playing indoor this winter.

GRANOGUE CYCLOCROSS

Raced on Saturday at Granogue - MAC Series race - UCI-C1 which is the best of the best in sanction cross races. Arived at the Granogue Estate at 6am to help with parking and decided to get kited up around 8:30 to get a pre ride in before the start of my 10am Master B race. Looking through the trunk I noticed I left my shoes at home, Damn! Raced home to get my shoes and was back in enough time to check out a bit of the C race and a very minimal warm-up. Got a great position in the line up - 2nd row - which is unusual for me..I tend to fnd myself lined up in the back. Course was in excellent shape and this was the first race for me with my new wheels and tubie. I picked up a set of Token C50 carbon tubluars. Wheels and Grifo tires where excellent and the traction was better than my prior setup.

Race startd with a short prolog and my strategy was to just maintain a decent position on the long road stretch and try and save something for the climb where hopefully some would be instantly blow up. Did just the same - Probably held a position during the prollog around 15th and going into the climb. Start of the 1st real lap I was struggling with dead legs - just did not have anything there and was getting passed my a number of racers. My legs would never really come around - just seemd to be sore and offering now power.

I road the course technically sound without any incidents - no crashes, bobbles, miss turns, etc. 3rd lap heading down the last hill section to Fatmarcs section I had a rider try to pas me on the inside at a left hand corner - where there was no rome for him to fit. I held my position and was not going to give any ground. he still tried to squeeze thru and we ended up locking bars heading straight thru the tape. I was not backing off - so a quick and strong elbow knocked him off! Gotta LOVE Cross!

Last 2 laps I was right behind the top 10 group - I could hear Rick yelling it out thru my dazzed thoughts, but I still just did not have the legs to accelerate. just held my ground and ended up 13th out of probably 60 racers. Not that bad considering how I felt, plus I know my riding time is getting less and less (I'm at about 3 maybe 4 hours a week including race time now). Fitness is dwlindling, but the fun level is still p there.

Complete race photos for Granogue can be found here:

http://mlkimages.smugmug.com/2007%20Sports/398004/

Ed Sander Memorial Cyclocross - Wasted Call-up

Sunday I ventured out to Buckeystown Md for the Ed Sander Memorial Cyclocross race, the second MABRA series race. Normally this is further than I would travel for a cyclocross race (2+ hours), but this is the race that got me started in cross a few years ago so there is just something that I really like about it - I just keep coming back. I have been showing up very early at races this season trying to get in a few warm up laps prior to the "C" race and to be able to check out the course. I photograph about 1/2 of the "C" race and then get kitted up and ready for the Masters 3/4 race. Due to shooting the prior race, my warm ups have been very short.

The race is held at LilyPon which is a landscapers/retail area full of ponds next to more ponds..all full of lilys. A portion of the race zig zags thru, in and around a section of the network of ponds. This is a course that is not really all that well suited for me as it has a lot of flat gravel road section which are great for power type riders (which I am not) - I am better suited on technical and hilly courses.

Today's race waiting in the line for call ups and the scrum I am chatting with a few racers about how I prefer starting in the back - at least this way you are passing people, when you start in the front you get passed which is discouraging - all in god humor, but I end up getting my wish so to speak. Announcers are making the call ups and then I hear my name??? Me, a call up?

So now I am lined up in the second row - must be a photographers call up as shortly Dennis Smith (another photographer) gets a call up. WOW, pretty excited to be so close to the front row.

And the race is off..........into the short pre lap and over the barriers and out into the pond area. I am hanging with the lead group in around 10th or so - feeling excited and good about my current situation. Into the first sharp right the pace immediately drops and everyone is getting congested - then 1/2 way into my turn I get T-boned and end up going down, quick up and looking down I have dropped my chain - no problem (so I think) I quickly remount and shift my front derailleur up and start spinning....and the chain should have came back on, it should of really! Must be an issue with the Ultegra compact crank/rings - 34/50. I thing the 50 is too large a ring. So now I am off my bike putting the chain back on by hand....and everyone is flying by me at this point, everyone. Chain on and I remount - look back and there is just one rider left.....I am now 2nd from LAST! in 64th place! DAMN! What a waste of a once a year call-up.

So now I have two choices, sit back and just finish the race or try and make something out of a bad situation - I choose the latter and immediately put my head down and set to work. Immediately thru the ponds I am making some passes, but looking ahead I can see the field is way strung out in front not even able to see the leaders anymore.

Lap after lap I am passing thru the ponds and back side technical sections....but as I knew, in the flats I was just hanging on or getting dropped. Slowly but surely I am making my way up thru the ranks, riding technically sound, fast thru the corners and actually being aggressive out of the corners standing and getting in some short sprints. At this point I have no idea where I am in the field.

Last lap and I am still making some nice passes and no one is gaining or passing me back - I catch up with Mike Connair and a group of 4-5 other riders who are riding very strong. I join the group and try working ahead....now we hit the long gravel road section. I am feeling pretty cooked a this point, Mike looks over like he wants to work together on the road and I tell him to go on - I don't really have anything left. The group moves ahead and gaps me a bit so I think I'm done but still trying to keep a strong pace. Heading into the backside "Party Zone" and up to the short run-up I see the group right in front - hey! I still have a group I can battle with!

Up the run up and into the switchback section I catch the group, take Mike on an inside corner and two other shortly there after. Up the last hill I surge forward and make another pass. So now its just me and one left from the group. Down hill to the "endo gravel pit" and to the finish.

I make a pass right before heading into the endo pit and he would have nothing to do with it and surged to stay even, into a quick right and left we are riding side by sis and not giving up an inch to each other. Now I see the "endo pit" - I had dismounted and run this section throughout the race just as everyone else had done as it was not really ridable, but this lap - the finishing lap I see a potentially rideable section and go for it...make it thru the corner to the finish and looking back - no one in sight.

I ended up crossing the line in 17th place (35/45 combined). Not a great placing result, but I had to pass 47 other racers to get there which in itself I am very proud of. Plus when I thought I was ready to roll over for dead, I managed to dig deep enough and pass a group of 5 strong riders in the last 1/4 lap. This was a race that brought out the pure enjoyment of cyclocross racing and why I love this sport so much.

Cleaned up and finished the day off by photographing the remaining races.

With the MAIN EVENT of the day being the Pro 1/2/3 race. Guest appearance by Trek Factory rider Jeremiah Bishop vs Local hero Weston Schempf. Great race with Wes leading most of the race and Jeremiah right in tow - giving you the feeling that Mr Bishop was just letting Wes do all the work and would make a strong move on the last lap. With 3 laps to go Wes got tripped up on the barriers and Jeremiah made an immediate attack, Wes was able to recover, attack and get back on Jeremiah wheel. Jeremiah then caught a pedal thru a corner and almost crashed, Wes got a small gap but did not notice what had happened so Bishop was right back on.

Then right at the end of the lap into the bell lap, Jeremiah had a flat and did not have a pit bike so he had to change his wheel. Wes would take full advantage of this and go on to wing the race.

Great race for Wes who I am sure will be a soon to be Sponsored Pro.

Can't wait for Granogue Cyclocross when Wes will be racing against Nationally ranked Pro's.

MLK