Toronto Cross weekend

November 10th – Toronto

Course – flattish course, with one steeper climb on the back section. Off chambers, one set of doubles and super slippery and tight s corner.

Weather – Rain the day before left the course a little damp, but it dried up by 3pm elite race. Approximately 40’ish starters.

Bike Setup – road the standard Moots with my superlight Reynolds wheelset, running around 30 pounds in the tires.

Other stuff – headed up with Shawn Adams and Jacob Fetty. Shawn choose the Dugast tubulars, Jacob went with the Challenge tubulars.

Starting Position – Are you kidding? 2nd to last row, as usual.

Gun went off, pace was hot off the gun. I didn’t have the best start, but I picked off a few riders and made it into a small group with Shawn Adams. We were working together, and was reeling in another rider.

As soon as we caught him, I dropped my chain in a rough section. Shawn dropped the guy we caught and I nearly caught up to him at one point, but I somewhat faded but was holding my spot. Finished 17th at the end of the day.

Shawn ended up 15th, I ended up 17th, but the cool news was that Jacob got some UCI points and ended up 9th on the day.

November 11th – Toronto, Day Two

Course – Very interesting one indeed. Flat and twisty on the first section. Some cool off chamber stuff at high speed going into double barriers next to the beer tent then into a corkscrew section designed to get you dizzy and give your heart a chance to come down a few beats.

Out of that into some flat fast section dodging trees into a slippy s section and into the first little uphill climb that had a little s section that dropped down into the next section.

That brought you into the pit area, and what was in front of you was a small ski slope that you shot straight up. A few corners then straight up to the top, then down a little into two super slippery right handers and then straight up again. This was going to hurt.

Across the top, down the other slope in a slippy slow s turn. Got to the bottom, straight and fast into some more slow 180 degree turns, onto the road and into a wide turn going left into the finish straight which was long and straight.

Bike setup – Same as the day before. Needed those 1200 gram tubulars to get me to the top of the climb with as little weight as possible.

Start position – Dah. Next to last row, AGAIN.

Gun goes off, somebody from the fourth row crashes out somebody in the second row at the gun. Since this could only happened if you jumped the gun and your starting position, and this is an elite race, the rider was handed a fine upon completion of the race.

I have a decent start, I’m in the first half going into the first corner when Jacob rolls a tubular. He’s out on the first lap.

Groups start immediately forming, and at the second climb that shoots straight up, the field shatters and I’m caught in no mans land. There is a small group in front of me going into the final straight and I peg it to get into that group.

We catch up to Shawn and go one more lap, and I throw down a small attack up the steep second climb. I would throw attacks every time up this climb as the smallest gear I had was a 42x25 – if I went slow, I was sliding the rear wheel. If I went hard, I got traction and my momentum would carry me up the climb.

I break from this group and make it into a group with Johnathan Card. We’re working together and soon we catch up to another rider right before the steep uphill climb. He looks beat, and I think my attack is going to shed him but he sticks it out. He says we can catch the next rider.

I continue to throw down, holding my lead in the group until we catch the next rider up just before the first climb. I attack again on the second climb and we gap him, but he catches on right before the final straight. I wait 2 seconds and I throw down again and drop him in the finish straight. We’re now 3 riders.

We ride a few more laps, I attack up the second climb, but Johnathon has the right tire setup for the day and keeps catching me on the downhill s on the 3 slope.

3 laps to go and I throw down again up the climb and I gap everybody, but Jonathon catches up to me again. I told him lets work, I only want the UCI points. We gap the third rider.

On the last lap, on the first little climb, I drop my chain and Johnathan gaps me. The rider we dropped catches me, but I drop him almost immediately as we hit the second climb. I’m getting closer to Johnathan, but he has the gap on me on the last downhill s turn and I decide to stay smart and upright as I thought I was going home with some UCI points…

But that was not to be – 12th on the day, UCI points only to the top 10. 1 minute down on 10th place.

Oh Canada… See you next year..

Sologoat out

day 1 results

day 2 results