Cyclocross Race 10 -- Less Text, More Pics!

Cyclocross Race #10

Saturday, Dec. 15, 2012

Hays Apple Orchard, Bosque Farms, NM

We’ve reached the last race of the 2012 NM series! Last year this race was a mud fest. My hard-tail mountain bike weighed twice as much when I finished riding as it did when I started. We had no idea what to expect this year, especially since we’ve gotten some snow in NM.

It was definitely chilly. When we left Santa Fe it was in the mid-20s, but was probably low- to mid-30s in the Bosque Farms area. There was a very cool breeze, though, and as another storm was forecast the skies were more often cloudy than clear.

The number of ladies lined up to race had dwindled over the season, and in my group of Masters Women 50+ there were just the three of us: Sheila, Maripat, and me. As usual the Cat. 1/2/3 riders took off first, then the Cat. 4 and the one single speed rider on her bright pink bike, and then us. Sheila took off like a shot, and I played caboose.

The course was in good shape, dry, and was nicely laid out with only one super tight switchback and more wider sweeping turns. It wasn’t muddy, and wasn’t nearly as bumpy as Cuba, which felt like riding on a rumble strip. Like Las Cruces there was a long straightaway along the top of a packed dirt berm from which you descended into the apple orchard. The descent was short but steep and sandy, and quite a few of us opted to run it (although I had been assured it was very ridable; it just looked too intimidating to me). 

Once in the orchard, we made apple sauce. A surprising number of apples were on the ground under the trees, and they had started to decompose and were quite slippery. (As a matter of fact, Tove told me later a Cat. 1/2/3 rider had hit an apple and went down really hard.) I took to watching for them trying to avoid them as much as possible. A couple of turns caught me by surprise, so my first lap was not particularly fast or skilled.  It was one of those rides where I spent most of the first lap wondering why I thought this was fun. On the run back up the berm – every bit as loose, steep and sandy as the ride down – I got caught behind a very young Cat. 4 rider, and nearly fell. 

It was not a particularly good day of riding for me. I really tried to catch Maripat, who had probably a 30-second gap on me. I whittled away at that gap, but those last two laps weren’t enough to catch her. I might have more power and am faster on the straight-aways, but she rides the turns faster than I do. On the last lap, I decided I had nothing to lose and rode down the scary sandy descent, finding it much easier than I ever would have believed. Then, thankfully, I was done. I was just glad to finish.  I tried not to feel discouraged, but some days it just kinda goes that way.

I was surprised and pleased to learn I had nonetheless maintained my spot as second in the series for the Masters 50+ women.  I have a shiny silver medal on a red ribbon to show for my first full season as a cross racer. I’m very proud of that. And I know what skills I want to work on before next year!

Changed into warm and dry clothing while the Cat. 1/2/3 men raced, it was then time for Kirk and David to race.  Their group too had dwindled a bit; maybe the colder temperatures had scared some people away. We knew Kirk’s primary competitor, Jimmy, was out for the rest of the season (his last race had been in Las Cruces). The Masters lined up with the Cat. 4 and single speeders behind them; on the count down, they took off.

The SpinDoc guys on the starting line 

I don’t even know who got the hole shot; it wasn’t Kirk or David. They raced up the berm, took the one really tight u-turn at the far end, then raced back to the sandy descent. By this time the top had a deep channel cut into it.  Before heading towards the pit, I watched the riders until all had gone down. A few planted their front wheels into the soft sand, going generally over the bars as a result (they probably grabbed the front brake, or didn’t keep their weight back far enough to avoid pushing the front wheel into the soft deep sand). It was a very soft landing, so each got up quickly and jumped back on his bike.

Down the sandy descent; Kirk is two riders behind David, who is on his way down

At the bottom of the descent; you can just barely make out
a cyclist behind David. He went down a second later,
and Kirk had to make his way around him as he came down.

I made my way to the pit, locating my hard tail (serving as David’s “B” bike) and Kirk’s Redline.  I had not seen lots of flats, so didn’t keep myself as “in the ready” as I would on a course with lots of flats. Instead, I pointed Kirk’s bike the right direction for each pit pass, and then enjoyed taking pictures and yelling (hopefully encouragingly!).

The chase is on! SpinDoc going one-two.

I couldn’t see much of the course from the pit, but David quickly passed the few guys that somehow got off the line before him, and Kirk passed the two guys originally between himself and David, then the two that David has passed.  Before long, it was a one-two SpinDoc race. There was a huge gap between David and Kirk and the rest of the field. David would pull out from Kirk on the straight-aways, and Kirk would close David’s lead in the turns.  Even the announcer said, “This right here is the race!” It was quite the spectator event: David and Kirk put on a really great show. And it all came down to the finishing sprint; Kirk was right on David’s wheel, both pedaling furiously, David getting the win with half a front wheel.  They had a blast, and it was a blast to watch.

Coming back up to the top of the berm -- just as sandy and deep as the descent.

With the men’s Masters 50+ series done, Kirk and David got their respective medals, too. Kirk won the silver behind Jimmy, and David got the bronze.  SpinDoc is well represented in New Mexico cyclocross this year: for the day’s race we took a gold, a silver and a bronze.  In the state series, we took home two silvers and a bronze. Way to go, SpinDoc!

The finishing sprint, Kirk (red sleeves) right on David's wheel, the race official watching 'em go.

Celebrating the double win!