Holy Week Part II- Providence

Saturday's race was very hot. It didn't go as well as planned, and well I did my best, I knew I had left something on the table. Chills on Lap three had me blow a pretty strong start. After a quick feed I started to crawl my way back a bit, but it was really a little too little, a little too late.

Craig, Beth, Diane, Taylor, Fartercus and I had a wonderful dinner at probably one of my favorite places to eat in the world the Cuban Revolution. I hadn't been here since Nationals in 2006, but remembered it and was more than excited when we all ended up there. Food was ridiculously good. We'll be back sooner than 6 years, trust me on that...

Craig and I were having a beer or two, and talking about the race he leans into me and says, I think I can hop the barriers. I'm kinda talking shit, so I say yeah, they are doable but is the reward worth it?

Yeah, that was fucking rad. More rad was when we came into the barriers on the first lap and he did this in traffic, picking up ten spots. Craig would have his best verge/necx result this weekend  This is his second year of cross racing...

Monk raced hard Saturday, had her usual danger scout reaction to the fly over "why couldn't they just put carpet on both sides?" and busted out a solid race. After running the Gauntlet, (Nittany, Charm, Gloucester, and Providence) she decided after doing 3 laps Sunday that she was pretty cooked, and with lots of racing to go, didn't race. Sometimes, discretion is the better part of valor. It's a longer, but still intense season a head.

Sunday, my race went really well. Strong start, battled in groups, sat on wheels, attacked when it was smart, I rode cleanly. I rode the race I wanted to ride. Fast forward to the last lap. I'm dangling off of the Chabot group just slightly. On the road stretch, about 1/2 through the lap, I make contact. There is a group of 3 chasing, but not likely to catch our group. Up the steep hill with two stairs, which I have been riding the entire weekend, we come up on a junior who let the first 3 guys in our group go through cleanly, but clearly didn't see me as he plays Terry Tate with me and takes me out. I was shocked  I may have  used some unkind words here in frustration. My apologies, junior racer.

I get up and get untangled, and now, I'm caught by the group chasing us. I start out kinda upset, then get angry, as the first guy in the group attacks through the pit passing me. I stand and respond. We weave through the last technical section, I sit on his wheel, and use some of that "New England Shit" when the guy behind me tries to move up in the group. I move my hands to the drops. This is been maybe my best race all year, and clearly my best race in New England ever. We hit the road, and the leader in front of me jumps, I respond and come around on the right, I get clear of him, but notice a wheel coming up on my right, I dig deep once more, and pour it all on. I see the line, I throw the bike. I win the group.

I am fucking stoked. Later, I find out that the result, was my best New Engand (Verge/NEPX) result ever. A freakin' birthday miracle I tell you. A birthday miracle.

A couple of other quick ones:

Kitten T-shirt Standard issue here on C3

warming up with Nick, Craig and Auer. Craig is leading Auer second wheel and I'm third, we come through a fast wide corner, and Auer goes to the front sits up and smiles back at Craig and I. He says with a chesire cat grin , "nobody wants to be the jam on a Vettori sandwich!" Awesome..

Speaking of Nick, Nick and Jen both came up to race this weekend. Both did very well. I think it was the biggest field of women Jen has raced with... She had fun. Jen's pretty rad.  This was Nick's first weekend of cross racing, and he did really well on his mtb w/ cross tires. Not really a surprise, as Nick is an amazing bike racer. More impressive was after he broke his chain and knew to run to the pit, some dude along the way offered him up his cross bike: A Moots Ti cross bike, with full red components  Now, we saw Nick, then we didn't, then next thing we know he's there on a Moots Ti Cross bike. 

Kids race was rad. That is all. (ryan sorry I missed your picture, I was getting ready to take it when your chain popped off)

carter

or Fartecus if you like, through the barriers

Taylor w/ Haile in tow!

As always great to see so many teammates and friends. Benny da Jewlar had a super solid weekend of racing, as did Auer Power... Really fun stuff.

love this shot, Chabot w/ Benny closing

Monk and I made a point to get out early Friday so we could enjoy the good weather and city a bit. Providence is really an amazing place, and we had a wonderful time. Our hotel was really rad, as you can see checking in when we had my honda fit stacked with race gear, a Ferrari, a Porsche and a Maserati. Baller Althetes, that's how we all roll...

We were happy to have Norm, Allison and Eric from MTBNJ join us at our compound. Totally great people, and fun to race with...

 Finally, with what Diane and I called the Gauntlet (Nittany, Charm, Gloucester, Providence) behind us, it was time for the Holy Week Playoff beard to come to end."the Playoff beard" if you will has served me well.
Beard season, will come again next year for sure....

no way I was selling that mustache...

thanks for reading...

respect
fatmarc