MSC #4 Race Report: Cross Country

Three weeks ago, there was so much snow left in Crested Butte that the guys at Mountain States Cup seriously considered cancelling the fourth stop in the race series. I'm glad they didn't.

I don't think I'll go into depth describing the course. Instead, I'll tell you about one sweet, sweet section of singletrack. It was at the top of the first, and longest climb. A strip of solid dirt bracketed by the bright green of new ferns snaked through aspen forest. Tight, high-speed corners, so rare here in Colorado, dominated the singletrack. First lap, I realized I had something great to look forward to for the second lap. Second lap, I heard some of the lead pro guys come up on me. I thought, "Oh no! This is a terrible section for passing!" But then.... "I can rip this fast enough that I wont hold them up much." So I dropped it into the big ring. I laid the bike through corners, pushed the tires in for traction, and had the time of my life screaming through aspen.
The section was followed directly by a swithback. I looked back to discover...I had dropped the pro men! Of course they caught me in two seconds on the next climb, but hey, little victories rock! I love tight singletrack, because if you ride it well, you can be just as fast as anyone, even the pro men, because fitness plays little or no part in tight quarters.
Anyways, I finished out in eighth place, a satisfying finish after a huge week (20 hours between Monday and Friday!) of riding. Leading the pack for the pro women was Jennifer Smith, who has been killing it lately. The pro men? Ryan Trebon, the man in cyclocross, decided to show us he can do cross country too.