First up was Cookin' the Kettles up on Whidbey Island, WA. It was a really fun course with some awesome exposed bluffs with views of Puget Sound and the Olympics. The sun was out and it was a good day to be on the bike (as are most days). There were only a few open/pro riders, so it was a small group to chase around some super-fun twisty/technical 1track. I ended up third and my race time was very good relative to the the top two guys.
The following weekend I packed the bike up in the box and jetted down to east LA. Fontana was the same as it has been the past few years: warm, dusty, and some real bad air. I had a strong races on the weekend taking 20th in the XC and 16th in the short track. Coming into the season, I was just hoping not to go DFL at the national events, and in my first try I pop top-20 and beat more than 30 other guys. I guess I have to adjust my objectives a little higher. I feel like I could have placed even higher, because I was very tentative and conceded many passes leading to the singletrack, because I didn't want to be the slow new guy in the way. Turns out the people I let past were usually slower in the 1track than me. Lesson learned.
Pondering whether I belong with all these fast guys.
50+ semi-pros ready to throw down.
Ripping some dusty 1track.
More 1track.
The Anthem Advanced gobbles up technical descents.
A post-race debrief with Coach Thomas.
After a solid weekend at Fontana, I flew back to Seattle for a few days of work and recovery. I left my bike in the box, but pulled the wheels out so I could put my desert tires on. On Thursday, I flew down to Phoenix, AZ for the Nova National. Again the sun was shining and it was even a little hot for my Pacific NW blood. The Nova consisted of three stages: a Super D/TT on Friday, short track XC on Saturday, and XC on Sunday. Respectively, I finished 26th, 30th, and 31st, which was a bit lower than I was hoping for but I had some solid races. Due to some guys throwing themselves on the ground in front of me at the start of the short track and XC, I was relegated to the back of the 60ish person fields for both races. Despite an abundance of cactus lined 1track, I was able to pass about 30ish guys in each race. Even though the results don't show it, it was a solid race weekend save the bad start luck. To see some good pro pictures of me in the desert, click here.
Three races down, some solid finishes, and a bunch of good weather. I couldn't ask for much more. Next up, Sea Slaughter, err, I mean Sea Otter in Monterey, CA. If the weather man is right, the sun should be shining on me for another weekend of racing.
Blue Star
