Finally we got a hotel with internet on our trip from Wisconsin to Wyoming, because I wasn't able to get into McDonalds for free wi-fi before we left! So here's how the racing went:
Saturday was the main event, the cross country, where there were about 10 juniors in a field of about 80 guys in category 1. The whole category thing was new as well, my licence said I should be racing cat 3 (social) and had to chase down the national coach to email the event organizer to let me race cat 1, which was a good thing! The weather was awesome compared to Germany, about 30 degrees celcius and had rained the night before so the track was nice. My start wasn't so great, even though this time I had a front row spot, couldn't get my foot in losing a fair few spots on in the first 100metres. Was able to reel the spots back, half way through the first lap sitting in about 5th with two of the other juniors, Payson and Will. There is a nice little pinch at the end of the lap and I decided I could wait no longer, and made a move to break away from our small group, turned out my legs were going very strongly because I only saw them at the finish line. The next three laps were spent just siting strong, not making mistakes, chasing down the cat 1 leader and even that eventually happened, half way through the fourth I was on my way past and he asked for a set of allen wrenches, which of course I had a set in my back pocket. So on the way up this hill I passed them over and said to give them back at the end and he did so no loss there! Finished feeling really good, it's always fun to come from an unknown and especially when I was meant to race cat 3!
The photos:
Always smiling :)
Representing the NT and Merida Flight Centre with the lovely ladies I'm travelling with.
On top again, maybe a little too dressed up?
The start line, packed!
Across the finish line
And now to the short course, also a bad start from the front line of the grid, sat in top 5 for a couple laps then decided to have a dig and test everyone's legs again. Not a good idea this time around, blew up and struggled to hold third wheel for the rest of the race, thinking to have a decent sprint at the end, only to come out of the last corner (which was super sketchy) and drop my chain, almost sending me into the tree on the outside! Pulled it back in and finished up 4th, not a bad effort.
A couple photos from this one:
In the front, but nothing lasts forever
And hanging on by the skin of my teeth
Thanks everyone for following and the continual support!!!
Cheers
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