Bluff Riders Charge, Mankato
we showed up a little later than planned. got there in time to get my packet, change and ride for about a mile to warm up. i was feeling better to see that the climb up was dramatically less than Mont Du Lac. weather was great again. upper 70's and very breezy.
started in the 2nd wave. went off the start line for a short sprint to the switchbacks uphill. 4th race of the year so i knew who to try to stay with. got into second going up the hill and tried to stay with JC in 1st. my legs felt the lack of a real warm-up here. he started to move away towards the top and really took off in the single-track woods at the top. remembering afton and mont du lac i went after him but he was out of sight. came out to a little opening and then back into single-track that wasn't very pass friendy. came across a group of 5 or 6 from the first wave and thought for sure JC in 1st would have got caught and slowed up in that group...he wasn't there. couldn't believe my eyes. he must be flying. talked to him after the race and he said he had timed it just right and got past that group in the brief opening between single-tracks.
for the first time i knew where i was placed in the race throughout the course. 1st place rider was ahead of me and i hadn't been passed. that is a new sensation and a lot of fun but when it starts to hurt you have more to lose if you back off.
saw B and the boys after completing lap 1. H had a big grin on his face and he was holding out a fresh water bottle at arms length. i still had plenty so i told him i would get it on the next lap (3 lap race). at this point i thought i may be right behind JC.
went into lap 2 and the climb up was better because i was now warmed up. after the climb was a blast. the course is so much fun. some spots are full throttle but always going from a left lean to a right lean through thick pines. a great little jump is thrown in. from there it is the final climb of the lap, the "Staircase". after making it up the switchbacks and climbs of Staircase you are rewarded with "the Luge". it is a great downhill that you must be paying attention on. the first time through it i noticed that the tracks on one of the corners went off the trail. it looked like more riders were going off the trail than were making the corner. it was at a bad spot to go off too. told myself to remember that spot on the next laps and be extra careful. every time around that corner the weight went off my back wheel and i was essentially riding the corner on the front wheel. that is a shot of adrenalin and just in time for the "Canal". it is a rolling, flowing section that is also a blast after the surge of life from surviving the Luge.
came out of all that to get a new bottle from H while he giggles, hear W yell "go daddy, go daddy, ride fast", and B cheer "go hard". i could still hear B almost half way up the hill. they all gave me a much needed boost for the final climb and the final lap.
did the final lap always hoping to come upon JC in 1st. never did but had a lot of fun looking for him. rode with a guy from the 1st wave for a while. we were whooping it up on the corners and jumps and it felt like we were just out for a ride having a great time.
Came out of the woods into the home stretch to see JC all but lounging. the only thing he was missing was a lemonade with a little umbrella. it looked like he had been there for about half an hour. turns out he had been there for about 6 minutes... i got smoked by him. but i had a blast doing it. got 2nd in the division and my best overall finish at 5th. feels good. learning lessons.
started in the 2nd wave. went off the start line for a short sprint to the switchbacks uphill. 4th race of the year so i knew who to try to stay with. got into second going up the hill and tried to stay with JC in 1st. my legs felt the lack of a real warm-up here. he started to move away towards the top and really took off in the single-track woods at the top. remembering afton and mont du lac i went after him but he was out of sight. came out to a little opening and then back into single-track that wasn't very pass friendy. came across a group of 5 or 6 from the first wave and thought for sure JC in 1st would have got caught and slowed up in that group...he wasn't there. couldn't believe my eyes. he must be flying. talked to him after the race and he said he had timed it just right and got past that group in the brief opening between single-tracks.
for the first time i knew where i was placed in the race throughout the course. 1st place rider was ahead of me and i hadn't been passed. that is a new sensation and a lot of fun but when it starts to hurt you have more to lose if you back off.
saw B and the boys after completing lap 1. H had a big grin on his face and he was holding out a fresh water bottle at arms length. i still had plenty so i told him i would get it on the next lap (3 lap race). at this point i thought i may be right behind JC.
went into lap 2 and the climb up was better because i was now warmed up. after the climb was a blast. the course is so much fun. some spots are full throttle but always going from a left lean to a right lean through thick pines. a great little jump is thrown in. from there it is the final climb of the lap, the "Staircase". after making it up the switchbacks and climbs of Staircase you are rewarded with "the Luge". it is a great downhill that you must be paying attention on. the first time through it i noticed that the tracks on one of the corners went off the trail. it looked like more riders were going off the trail than were making the corner. it was at a bad spot to go off too. told myself to remember that spot on the next laps and be extra careful. every time around that corner the weight went off my back wheel and i was essentially riding the corner on the front wheel. that is a shot of adrenalin and just in time for the "Canal". it is a rolling, flowing section that is also a blast after the surge of life from surviving the Luge.
came out of all that to get a new bottle from H while he giggles, hear W yell "go daddy, go daddy, ride fast", and B cheer "go hard". i could still hear B almost half way up the hill. they all gave me a much needed boost for the final climb and the final lap.
did the final lap always hoping to come upon JC in 1st. never did but had a lot of fun looking for him. rode with a guy from the 1st wave for a while. we were whooping it up on the corners and jumps and it felt like we were just out for a ride having a great time.
Came out of the woods into the home stretch to see JC all but lounging. the only thing he was missing was a lemonade with a little umbrella. it looked like he had been there for about half an hour. turns out he had been there for about 6 minutes... i got smoked by him. but i had a blast doing it. got 2nd in the division and my best overall finish at 5th. feels good. learning lessons.
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