I can't quite put it into words how cool the course is. With 20 years of trail work put onto a private trail with a short course, the trail takes on it's own life. It is like a snake that coils and squirms between trees, down ravines and over jumps and lumps. It is the best spectator course out there! The course clover leafs back on itself and people love taking pictures of the berm action and the riders hitting the jumps.
The turns are bermed up a little more each year by the action of tires push. Some features are man made but all of the course is Steve's pet project. I though the race would be postponed by the 4+ inches of rain that only stoped 24 hours prior to the start, but Steve and his crew, along with volunteers from the EVMBA, worked to leaf blow the course and dig drainage - even a re-route of a wet section - made for a course in perfect condition! Unbelievable. The course was in what I call "big ring condition" where the turns were like Velcro and the straights were packed almost to a glaze by the earlier racers. Way cool.
I wasn't sure how I would hold up after a week at the beach, but I did know I wanted to burn the barn in the start and go for the hole shot. I got the pedals dead on and I sprinted as hard as I could around the first few turns. "GO THOMAS!" I heard spectators yell behind me. What ?? I was thinking Jeff or Todd would have been on my heels but they ran into each other as Thomas Jenkins of SBC showed them what 17 years of racing here will teach you about this course. You have to hit it on the fist lap because initiative is important on a course this fast and narrow. I sensed the trouble behind me and lit the fist lap like a whole bottle of fire starter on the grill. Whoosh.
Thomas, showing them who's got the skills.
Later I felt the effort and wondered if I could pedal anymore! I was whooped after sprinting up hill after hill to hold my momentum. But with 15 minutes left I kicked back up to put it all out there, I could see Todd Helmick (Trek East Coast Factory Team) had moved into second place and in front of Jeff Shalk (also a Trek East Coast Factory rider). Todd used his local high speed single track knowledge to stay in second despite a slow rear flat. And Jeff held for third and Justin Raynes was fourth. Sue won the women's race ahead of Churtle and Carolin.
Steve was wondering, despite my lead, if I was pushing it to the max. I sure was! I thought it was the least I could do seeing as Steve has gone all out on the Tidewater Mountain Bike Challenge for the last 20 years.
See ya next year,
Jeremiah
Labels: Racing
