Rockburn Cross - A Fitting End To An Excellent Cross Season

Finally a cold, wet, and muddy 'cross race. Ironic that the first "mudder" of the year is the final race of the year! I decided to race the Cat 4's in an effort to get more points toward my Cat 3 'cross upgrade. It was the largest field of the day with more than 50 starters.

The course was muddy and slippery with some woodsy singletrack, gravel, and a little pavement. Laps were more than 10 minutes long, which is a little too long IMO. But despite the length, I really liked the course, especially the way that it looped back to the start/finish area like a four-leaved clover, not like an endoplasmic reticulum. I lined up on the front row (no callups for Cat 4s) and got the hole shot going into the prologue loop. Being in front was the bomb - I slowed just as much as necessary to get through the turns upright, forcing everyone behind me to slow even more. I stayed in front for nearly 1/4 of the 10-minute long lap by staying upright in the slop and hitting the gas hard whenever I could pedal. I stayed in the lead until a DCMTB guy (Loren McWethy) passed me. By then the frontrunners had separated themselves from the pack and it was easier to keep track of riders. I stayed with Loren for awhile and then Alex Driscoll blows by us both on a single-speed. He would go on to win. Eventually, Matt Hennessy from Team BBC gets up to me and passes me. I narrowly beat him last weekend at Capital Cross, so I knew he was a good wheel. I kept him in sight for the remaining two laps of the race but I was never able to get back on terms with him. During the third lap my shifting began to act up, refusing to stay in gear. I nursed it along by shifting into my largest cog and then down shifting into the gear I wanted. It seemed to work and got me to the finish. Late in the third lap another guy caught me and passed me. But I dug deep and re-passed him over the barriers and managed to hold him off until the end. I ended up in 4th place out of 50+ starters, earning a few more points toward my Cat 3 cyclocross upgrade.

I managed to stay upright the entire race, although I rode the corners like a small child. With better cornering I likely could have finished better, although everyone seemed to have trouble out there. We actually did a podium ceremony after the race and I had my first podium experience. Kind of cool. I won a gift certificate to some bison meat company. Bizarre swag at these 'cross races.

JeanBean rode well - also getting the hole shot - but blowing it in the first turn of the prologue to put herself near DFL. She recovered throughout the race to finish 4th in a large field of 17. Kind of fitting that we both finish on the podium - a great way to end the 'cross season!