Hespeler GP race report

Yesterday I headed down to the Hespeler Arena to help the other Hub folks set up for today's cross race. Cold and frozen, the ground was not too receptive to stakes. Once we got things figured out, and found the softer spots things started going a little better. We got about 2/3 of the course staked and about half taped before light started fading and we were all getting cold. The remaining work seemed manageable for the morning.

I had planned to help with setup today but was wiped out from Saturday and opted to sleep in. I rolled into the arena around 10 to talk to some of the morning racers and get suited up. I decided to get dressed in my cycling gear nice and early since it would be just as warm as jeans and a coat. Rolled around during the 11 o'clock race cheering and heckling.

The last couple laps were done in freezing rain/hail, causing me to retreat to the car. I got out after it let up a bit and started my preride in some drizzle. Lots of running sections, some nice fast ridable sections and lots of power stuff. As expected. I didn't really plan to take the race too seriously, but I was going to give it a shot and at least get a good training ride out of it.

A training ride it was indeed. On the first lap I gapped a couple folks and hoped to stay with Jarrod but he and Brusso were riding away from me. I kept Jay behind me for awhile before he found himself on my wheel and stayed there for a lap or so. We were pretty well matched but he was making far fewer mistakes than me. I think I was actually riding a hair faster, when I was riding but I would lose that advantage whenever I messed up. At some point he came around and I stayed on his wheel for another lap or so. Eventually, he rode me off the wheel again due to small mistakes, sliding out in corners and such. I had enough gas that I thought I'd be able to catch him, and just at that point I made a critical mistake on a running section and went down hard. I scraped my knee, and the pain made for a slow re-start to my chase. By the time I got up to speed again Jay was gone and the ride was now just to finish and get a good training ride in so I toned things back on the slippery corners and tried to ride as smoothly as possible.

Box and Chown came by during my 2nd last lap, making it my last as I'd hoped as I watched them catching me on sections where the course had looped back on itself. I rolled in for 6th, though there was some confusion about placings due to lapped riders. In the end, just one spot out of the podium and I would have liked to challenge Jay for that. If it was in the midst of cross season I would like to think I could have stuck with Jarrod longer, but then again he's probably in off-season mode too.

All in all a good training ride and fun day putting on a race with the Hub Race Team.