Race Report: MSC #1 Day One

Recently I kicked off my racing season with the first of the Mountain States Cup races.

OK, I actually did a road criterium earlier this spring as a training race, but I haven't posted about it yet. What can I say? Road racing just isn't very high on the priority list...sorry to the roadies out there reading this blog. It's a great sport. I just don't love riding the road as much as sweet, sweet corners. And I never have been very good at making my sunglasses match my bottle cage match my socks match my grip tape :)

Anyways, the MSC #1 race was hosted in Fruita, CO. Who wouldn't be stoked to race in
... the new mecca of mountain biking? Unfortunately, the drive out quickly turned epic when a semi turned over on Vail pass. After four hours of slow-to-stopped driving, me and my co-driver pulled over in a rest stop and did our bests to sleep in the cramped quarters of the front seats. Needless to say, I wasn't the best rested at the start of the Time Trial.


But enough whining about things out of my control. Originally, I wasn't too stoked about a time trial. I thought all time trials were destined to suck, but boy, was I wrong! A short two track lead in to sweet, rippin, Porcupine Rim-style singletrack. All told, it took me something over 23 minutes to rail it. To put it in perspective, Katie Compton (intensely fast cyclocrosser) rolled across the line two seconds shy of 18 minutes.....on her singlespeed. WOW! But the overall went to Georgia Gould, followed very closely by Katie, then Kelli Emmett (Michigan native, woot!). In the guys, Ross Schnell took top honors.

Next up: A report from the cross country race that happened the next day in Fruita.