Grove City 'Cross

Race two of the Month of Mud was this past Sunday. Since I did the series last year, this was actually the first time that competed in a race that I had done previously. How novel.

The Grove City course is long, flat, and fast with about 1/3 of the race on pavement. We started with a prologue on the tarmac to spread everybody out before we hit the first set of barriers. Everything was damp, so I took it a little easy on the road to avoid a crash.

When we came to the barriers, I was solidly in the mid-pack. I saw Don and Aaron a just ahead of me, so I made it my goal to catch them. We rode through a short dirt section, then spilled out onto a field where all the tight turns were set up. The course was wet, but not enough to become muddy.

From Drop Box

(the first barriers. but not the first time we jumped them)

From Drop Box

(I wish I had skills like these. although on lookers claim he was actually going slower by hopping the fences)

We hit the road again and Don and Aaron really went for it. I was about 100 feet behind them when we came to the first corner. All of a sudden I heard the buzz of a tire losing traction, then saw Don sliding across the road with his bike next to him. Aaron was either hit by the human projectile, or swerved to try and avoid it, because he went down as well. I rode by (slowly. I didn't have any burning desire to suffer the same fate.) and asked if they were ok. They claimed they were, but they did not look comfortable.

From Drop Box

(the Pflug and Steve nailing the section that took out Don and Aaron)

I marked the next guy in front of me and started to chase. Once I had caught him, I moved onto the next rider, and kept it up until the end of the race. Riding the fixed gear was not as difficult as at the Raccoon race, mostly because the course was easier (less slippery. thank you semi dry weather.) I finished 13th overall and 2nd SS.

I was only 1 minute and 40 seconds behind JPok, the #1 SS. I think that if I would have been riding a coasting type bike I could have given him a hells of a race.

Just because this is the first time I can compare previous results, last year I came in 38th overall and 9th SS.

I had the distinct pleasure of seeing Don's wound after the race. His entire hip area looked like raw burger meat. Yum.

Dave Crack rolling into the finish:

From Drop Box

There were 3 other guys on Uni's. That's a four man unicycle class. Figgin sweet man.