Jingle Cross re-cap

Hey Gang,

It was a big weekend, it's a big post, enjoy the awesome-ness that is Jingle Cross.

Music

The Strokes 'Modern Age'

So today is Tuesday, but last weekend i did three days of cross racing in Iowa City, IA. Jingle Cross! i had been looking forward to this all year, it did not disappoint.

How should i describe Jingle Cross... It's like a circus. The racing is fun, fast and rediculus. The hills are massive, both up and down, The fields are way bigger than any local race, and the racers are fast. Plus the crowd really get's into into it. it get's even better when big Names like Jamie Driscol, Tyan Trebon, Todd Wells and Chris Horner show up to race.

Now on my race recap's.

Friday:

The starts for all three day's were really fun, 40 to 50 dudes hauling ass around fast, wide sweeping turns. The first two minutes of each race was like a video game. On friday I got a good start and was sitting top 10 but ended up fading throughout the race. Actually I felt pretty good all weekend but lot's of folk's were just faster. Friday's race was punctuated by a huge descent w/ two switchbacks and a surface consisting of frozen mud that had a gloss to it thanks to the flood lights. it was a total ice skating rink. i fell every lap. i usually fell before you even got to the hardest part, so from there i would just run thru the switchbacks (ocasionallly falling while running, yes, it was that slick) and once you got past them it was fairly easy to re-mount your bike and bomb down the final long strait away, all you had to do was say a quick prayer, hop on the saddle, and hope for the best.

This final descent was fun in a terrifying way. i got nervous every time i approached it but luckily none of the races allowed much time to think, just react. 2nd time down a dude in front of me endo's then i passed two guy's on the ground and one's leg is completly thru the triangle of the others frame and they're struggling to seperate them selves. Just another day in the cat 3 field at Jinglecross, i guess.

This crazy hill also made it impossible to keep track of the race, every time down was chaos and you had no idea how many guys had passed you and how many guy's you'd passed.

It was nice to see the elite men have trouble with this descent as well (Horner seemed to have a particularly rough time) it made me feel a little better about my own performance.

When it was all said and done I ended up 16 out of around 44.

Saturday:

My start wasn't as good as yesterday and i batteled in the middle of the field all day. the Toughest part of the course was the run up, steep and long, followed by a climd that was long and bumpy. lot's of climbing at Jinglecross. (It makes Manion's seem much easier) Luckily lots of climbing also means you get to go down, and today's descent, unlike yesterday's, was dry and safe. Of course despite that i still managed to come in too hot and plow right into the tape at the bottom, taking out a large blue barrell in the process, but it was all in good fun.

The very end of the race contained what i think is my first legit sprint finish. Me and another dude duked it out over a dead strait, dead flat, 75 yard stretch. what's that in meters? he beat me by a bike length, but it was awesome. We were hauling a*s. I had plenty of juice but he had more. He sat in my draft for a few seconds and then came around me. Maybe if i sprint from the drops next time ill come out on top. One weird note, we only raced for about 37 minutes.

I finished 22 out of about 50.

p.s. the 'dollar bill chicks' only came out for the elite men's race, total bummer.


Sunday:

This would be my best race and best result of the weekend. 13th out of 44. i had a good start and did a good job of keeping my bike upright pretty much all race. The promoters took out the huge hill for safety reasons (too slick due to frozen mud. i guess) for everyone except the elite women and man, so after the two previous day's of climbing - descending - repeat, it was time for a more traditional course. i was fine with this.

The race still had plenty of technical sections (including lot's of gravel) plus it was the muddiest day of the weekend, so there were plenty of equalizers over some of the faster dude's in the race. i did well on all the technical sections and even gapped a few people on the run up in the last lap. I've been doins a little stair running in prep for this weekend, and that little burst up the hill was what i got for it. it was worth it. At the very end i sprinted again to try and catch a rider a few seconds up ahead, i gave it full gas but it was a little to far to bridge.

i think i was on the hoods again.

So that was Jinglecross. it was an amazing weekend. sure, i never achieved my goal of top 10, but looking back i'd say the entire weekend was a complete success. I can't wait to go back.

Jingle Cross Rock's!!!

Ciao