Delta Cross

Lined up for the cross race in North Delta, BC. It is not a BC Cup, however I am thrilled about there being another race on the calender. Good course, one of the bigger pure fitness tests given that there is a long hill ( for cross anyway ) with some fun technical sections in the woods. They started the race from the bottom of the long gravel road, this year, and you hit the climb right at the start and that thins it out nicely.

Given that it is not a BC Cup race, they broke out a masters category! This is a good idea only because it breaks the field size down a bit. They start the B's in front of the masters, we go 1 minute later. I am lined up on the front line with the usual fast guys. They say go and Brad initially goes to the front, after he leads it out I come through and I am leading up the climb. We hit the top of the climb and I am scared to look back as I have a feeling that I just towed the whole group up the hill. I look back once at the top of the climb and BC is on my wheel and that is about all I can see. I feel pretty good at the top of the climb and just try to stay smooth riding in the track. We end up hitting the technical single track first and it is nice being at the front unobstructed. Hit the barriers and I can tell there is a pretty good group with me. I still get over the barriers first and then manage to get over the big hoppable log first as well. We hit the long fast downhill and no one comes by me, I am bit surprised because I am not going as fast as I can because it is a hard right at the bottom that is all loose gravel and don't want to crash. After that we hit the long drag to the start finish line. I give BC the chicken wing to come around, as I am hurting a bit. He does and like last week he almost kills me. I come back around and we hit the climb. I look back and I can see that I have a gap. I decide that I should give it a go! I get clear on the climb and by the top I have a sizable gap.

I ride the whole second and third lap pretty fast knowing that others will be coming. I want to try to stay on it so I can stay away until the end. I know that if I keep this pace up I may slow up towards the end. I ride laps 2-3 fast and smooth. When I come around, after 3, I see 2 to go. I know that I am starting to hurt. I can tell by the way that I am riding the climb. I am not as smooth or as powerful I look back and there are guys behind me and, however I can't tell if they are B's that I have caught or guys that are in my group. I seem to be riding pretty well in the technical which is encouraging. Trying to pedal through all the corners.

I see one to go and it looks like a possibility, I may get the win going wire to wire. Then it happens, just as I see the lap board a guy tags on the back of me and as we start the climb he goes around me. I am in the pain cave. Not much left, but I go absolutely red! As he went by me he told me Tyler Morland was coming at 10 seconds. I manage to stay on the first guys wheel, but he gaps me off to about 4 feet, but I hold it there. The parts are coming off the jalopy at this point. Then just as we hit the top of the climb Tyler comes by me. It is almost all flat or downhill. I tag onto Tyler and we are making up time on the other guy. It might be close, but after we hit the long gravel descent that takes us onto the long drag back to the start finish, Tyler lays the wood to me. That is it! The other guy stays away, I roll it in for 3rd. Missed it by about 5 minutes. 15 seconds between 1-3rd

I had it. I think that I just lost some focus on laps 3-4. It is hard riding by yourself for all 5 laps. I almost pulled it off, which I think would have been an upset. Ah well, it was lots of fun. The other 2 rode a great race, so no shame in third.

Nina and the fashionista were out to the race. Nina said that Sophia was cheering for the wrong guy every lap. I hope he was a Dad too! Nina did not snap any pictures, she would have, had she known I was leading for 95% of the race, but could not tell with all the B's starting in front of us. She never said it but, probably thought that I was pack fodder.

Next up is star crossed!!! Should be fast