pilgrimage to the motherland

If you consider yourself a crosser... If you love this game, then you owe it to yourself to race in one of the New England Verge Series races. It needs to be on your bucket list.

No,  I don't think that the New England Series is superior to the MAC. I think the product delivered in both arenas is very comparable. But what Granogue and Charm City don't offer is the history and reverence that you feel all around in New England. The fields, the crowds, they know cross, they've been racing it for years. They know the riders, local and not so local. The Chip Baker led Hup guys have a party that runs from the cat 4 race all through the elites. There is a history that any cross lover can not deny. You see the Corner Cycle boys warming up together in their stars and bars kits. You see Tom Stevens, the man who was the visionary course designer and I know is the guy whose style we try to incorporate in every course we design. Paul Curly, the guy who brought cross here, and set the stakes that the foundation was build on, riding around, mirror on helmet, aero wheel on the rear. I got to shake hands and BS with Gewilli. If you love cross, if you care about the history of our sport, New England is an experience you can't deprive yourself of... For a Cross Nerd like me... It was simply amazing...
I've done the CSI race probably 4-5 times over the years. A number of years it was on the U Mass Campus, and it as fun, but the course was the best they could do with the terrain they had. My last time to the Cycle Smart International was 2005. It was a Look Park, and I have to be honest it was the most fun, the best course I have ever ridden. And for the last 5 years, I have told anyone who asked the the Look Park Venue, that course, was my favorite ever. With that backdrop, I was a little worried that the course wouldn't live up to my expectations, that it wouldn't be as amazing as I remembered it. Hats off the JD and Adam and their crew, because very frankly the course was better than I remembered.  A hard run up, tight bike driving technical stuff on the upper deck, fast pedaling corners on the lower, and a sandpit that was the most fun ever.
Amazing venue, amazing job pulling together what remains my favorite course... So Much Fun to race...  I can promise you this, it won't be another 5 years before I get back...

my bro skinny craig through Sunday's sandpit... yup he's in a 7up jersey...

Also making this trip really special and fun for me is the fact that my brother (skinny craig) and his family is very local to North Hampton. Craig started racing cross this year, and frankly getting him racing cross might be my proudest achievement this season. Craig and Beth were kind enough to welcome; host; feed; treat Monkey and the C3 crew that stayed with us like kings. It was so good to see them, and I have so much fun racing with my brother. Thanks for everything, this weekend kinda made the year for me. It was an awesome weekend.
Racing wise, it was a bit of a downer for Monkey. The Amphitheater of Pain at Beacon has seemed to re-irritate her knee. The run up on day one was a similar painful motion, and really balled up her knee pretty good. Monkey's going to take some time off the bike in the hopes that if she can rest it, and baby it up, and hopefully avoid any courses with steep run ups, she'll be able to salvage the year. She commented to me, "it's been a good year, the doctor told me I wouldn't get to race at all this year, I didn't have good legs this weekend anyway, but I gotta think long term... My knee is kinda balled up right now..." Smart Cookie this one is. She's had a great season... I am really proud of her...
As for my racing, it was pretty much the story of season: start in the back, hang on for dear life through the start, and try to keep clawing my way forward. Race hard and see where the chips fall.

back in black.. nose to tail in this race...

Saturday
I rode in a group of 6 or so for most of the race. On the final laps attacks and accelerations happened, two got away, I was dangling off of Jerry as we headed into the sandpit. He bobbled a bit, and I was able to make contact. I moved into the drops and sat on him until we hit the pavement, where I jumped and was able to just edge around him on the line.

Sunday
Start was long and fast, and I felt like I was really far back. Couple of dudes laid it down in front of me maybe 1/3 into the lap. I heard the crunching of spokes as I rode over his back wheel, doing my best to not get caught up in the pile up. I spent pretty much the rest of the race chasing Steve Roszko. On the lower deck he'd power out a gap, I'd get back in the sand or on the upper deck and sit on his wheel hoping he couldn't light it up again. With 2 to go, David H was coming back towards us and I got a little greedy, I tried to power through him and hoped to bring back Roszko too. I burned the match a little too bright, a little too early as both got away from me in the end.. Last lap I held off a hard charging Jerry, who was looking to reverse roles from our sprint the previous day. I didn't want it to come down to that...

J Rock (Mauer) had the best race I have seen him ride. he really pushed himself. The snot on the jersey is BAesque.

Interestingly, my result from both days was pretty similar and the same dudes were one spot in front of me (David h) and one spot behind me (Jerry). Hmmm...

It was an awesome weekend.

Birthday boy chillin' in the toaster

respect.
Fatmarc