Hendersonville UCI Races
We made the long trek out to the western part of the state for a double race weekend. I'd heard nothing but good things about these races and they didn't disappoint. Two of the best courses I've ever ridden, they had just about everything you look for in a cross course. They're a haul to get to but well worth it. But first...
Work related stuff in Durham provided a good excuse to make the trip out on Friday. So we're heading thru the Durham area on the highway at about 10am, not in the city but just outside it, when I see what at first looks like a dog up ahead on a grassy embankment. I slow in case it decides to come out into the road. As we get closer I realize it's not a dog, and certainly looks like a wolf! It may have been a coyote but if it was, it was one well-fed coyote. I have no idea how this guy got there in what is one of the more heavily populated areas of the state. I'm thinking someone's pet got out.
Anyway we finally got to Hendersonville about 5:30 and settled in. Hendersonville is about a half hour south of Asheville. I was still feeling the lingering affects of the cold that ruined me for the better part of a week so I was curious how Saturday would go. Too hard to describe the course as it constantly twisted and turned, lots of off camber stuff, a couple of long pavement sections, two run-ups, a descent on single track in the woods, and some wet areas with a touch of mud. It had it all. Good mix of hard sections (but none long enough that they became burdensome) and recovery sections. I had a good start but I was either rusty from the cold or just cool-downed too much on the line and couldn't get going. I just kept losing places the whole first lap before I got motoring on the second. I recovered OK and started looking for the wheels of overtaking riders to go forward. Ended up getting a good tow when the 45+ leader came by, and then a lap or two later Fred Wittwer came by and I got another good tow on the pavement section. Didn't feel great but I think ended up around 15th.
I liked Sunday's course even better. Some parts of the course were the same, some were reversed, and a few new sections added. Better for me as the single track descent was now a climb and in general fewer places to touch the brakes. And for the first time I felt like the cold was completely gone, I think Saturday blew the last of it out of my system. Again I had a decent start and was probably in the top 10 off the pavement, went backwards some on the first lap but nothing like the day before. Ended up racing my nemesis. This is the 3rd race that I've ended up going shoulder to shoulder with this guy for the last several laps of the race and like everytime before he beat me again. This time it was the "wall" that did me in. The wall came right at the end of the lap. It was iffy for me to make it up it riding, probably didn't make it a third of the time. I botched it coming to the end of the penultimate lap and he was gone. I chased hard for about the 1st half of the last lap but I wasn't catching him, so I shut it down and took it easy. Might just have squeaked into the top 10. Saw some other Mid-Atlantic folks. We ended up parked next to Melanie Swartz and Judd Milne both days. Judd did the Masters races also and had solid top-10s both days. I think Melanie podiumed on Saturday, not sure about Sunday.
Other than Olivia getting sick on Saturday it was good trip, got to see Jenny's dad and his wife who live out that way. They came to the race on Saturday. Sunday was Atticus' 4th birthday which we had celebrated last week when my parents were down visiting. I think with the gifts from Jenny's dad he took in quite a haul. We got him a bike which he is riding lots. I saw a picture of Nys' 4-year old kid riding a bike that had been fitted with regular road handlebars and shifters. I'm thinking that might be good project to put together for Atticus' b-day or Christmas next year.
Work related stuff in Durham provided a good excuse to make the trip out on Friday. So we're heading thru the Durham area on the highway at about 10am, not in the city but just outside it, when I see what at first looks like a dog up ahead on a grassy embankment. I slow in case it decides to come out into the road. As we get closer I realize it's not a dog, and certainly looks like a wolf! It may have been a coyote but if it was, it was one well-fed coyote. I have no idea how this guy got there in what is one of the more heavily populated areas of the state. I'm thinking someone's pet got out.
Anyway we finally got to Hendersonville about 5:30 and settled in. Hendersonville is about a half hour south of Asheville. I was still feeling the lingering affects of the cold that ruined me for the better part of a week so I was curious how Saturday would go. Too hard to describe the course as it constantly twisted and turned, lots of off camber stuff, a couple of long pavement sections, two run-ups, a descent on single track in the woods, and some wet areas with a touch of mud. It had it all. Good mix of hard sections (but none long enough that they became burdensome) and recovery sections. I had a good start but I was either rusty from the cold or just cool-downed too much on the line and couldn't get going. I just kept losing places the whole first lap before I got motoring on the second. I recovered OK and started looking for the wheels of overtaking riders to go forward. Ended up getting a good tow when the 45+ leader came by, and then a lap or two later Fred Wittwer came by and I got another good tow on the pavement section. Didn't feel great but I think ended up around 15th.
I liked Sunday's course even better. Some parts of the course were the same, some were reversed, and a few new sections added. Better for me as the single track descent was now a climb and in general fewer places to touch the brakes. And for the first time I felt like the cold was completely gone, I think Saturday blew the last of it out of my system. Again I had a decent start and was probably in the top 10 off the pavement, went backwards some on the first lap but nothing like the day before. Ended up racing my nemesis. This is the 3rd race that I've ended up going shoulder to shoulder with this guy for the last several laps of the race and like everytime before he beat me again. This time it was the "wall" that did me in. The wall came right at the end of the lap. It was iffy for me to make it up it riding, probably didn't make it a third of the time. I botched it coming to the end of the penultimate lap and he was gone. I chased hard for about the 1st half of the last lap but I wasn't catching him, so I shut it down and took it easy. Might just have squeaked into the top 10. Saw some other Mid-Atlantic folks. We ended up parked next to Melanie Swartz and Judd Milne both days. Judd did the Masters races also and had solid top-10s both days. I think Melanie podiumed on Saturday, not sure about Sunday.
Other than Olivia getting sick on Saturday it was good trip, got to see Jenny's dad and his wife who live out that way. They came to the race on Saturday. Sunday was Atticus' 4th birthday which we had celebrated last week when my parents were down visiting. I think with the gifts from Jenny's dad he took in quite a haul. We got him a bike which he is riding lots. I saw a picture of Nys' 4-year old kid riding a bike that had been fitted with regular road handlebars and shifters. I'm thinking that might be good project to put together for Atticus' b-day or Christmas next year.
posted by Venga, Venga, Venga! at 6:01 AM
2 Comments:
It was probably an eastern coyote which supposedly interbred with red wolves, making them a bit bigger then their western cousins.
Brian Burgess
Sounds like you're having fun! Fred's my favorite cross racer. When he "retires", I will too. I think I'm safe despite his protests. You missed the big mudbath up here in PA. More running than any race I've done. Honestly, I loved it.
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