Race Report: Sacramento CX

Once again the guys over at Sacramento CX put on a great Cross event. Discovery park located in the shadows of downtown, where the Sac and American rivers meet, is the beginning of the American river bike path. The one cross venue in this series that I have seen before, and have dreaded since seeing it on the calender. Basically the whole place is a giant lawn, no fire roads or trails….. So , for course details read here, the first four straights were velcro leg ripping deep grass . The third straight was broken up with a 4 pack of 2×6 barriers. 50 yards of bike path dumps us into a right hander followed by a left hairpin and the second set of barriers. The tunnel section was the only tech area with rain soaked dirt a tight corner and a narrow path to ride. This dumps to the dead grass area that has one long straight followed by multiple hairpins and straights that felt like a maze back to the last barrier set before returning into the tunnel section. Coming out of the tunnel you are greeted with a wet pavement to dirt off camber turn followed by an off camber hillside traverse. We are now back on the lawn for a few more twist and turns to the finish line.
Lets get to the action, this race was part the local Sac series and the NCNCA cup so the ladies and mens A fields were a little stacked and big. Even the great Ned Overend graced our course with his presence. My start had a hot lap prime of $80!!! I really need to work on my max HR. I sat in about 7th of 40 + riders after the first lap and it went down hill from there. The grass sucked the watts right out of my legs. The only high lite to each lap was bunny hopping the barrier 4 pack to gain a little ground back on the runners. In the end I finished 11th out of 21 in the 35+ B group, respectable in my mind of being my forth race since leaving SLC in ’05.
The bottom line is the Saramento CX was able to pull off a great event in a brand new location. Fun was had by all, even those spectators on those funny bikes with the skinny tires.

Thanks Rev
For showing me the way
It is best to be Big Ring
Every single day

hail Eddy brother Robert