Crosstoberfest: Raynham, MA

“Your overconfidence is your weakness.”  -Socrates I guess, or some guy with a glowstick.  You know, in that movie.

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Crosstoberfest was not well publicized, as evidenced by pre-registering the day before and getting number 101.  At a rather porky 440 points.  The course was drool-worthy for a roadie: 96% flat, 96% grass, and 80% straight.  There was even a “hill” before the first set of barriers which I hoped would more resemble a “power climb” in the race.  The crossresults oracle had spoken, but my uppance was to come.  On the start line I was mooning fate, heckling the skinny junior next to me who fantasized aloud about winning the hole shot.  I channeled an Old Spice commercial: “Look at your thighs, now back to mine.  Now back at your thighs, now back to mine.  These are the thighs your thighs could sprint like.”

I do many things in life with a puppy’s enthusiasm and reckless abandon.  This was no exception.  I picked a gear one cog larger than usual for the long, flat start.  On the gun I slammed my foot into my pedal, stood up, and yanked my other cleat  out and lost ten places.  The starting straight was so long I managed to get back to fifth position by the first turn.

First lap was fast.  We hit the starting straight again and the pace died.  No time like the present: roadie go.  The next three corners I got loose with my traction (enthusiastic puppy style), managing to stay upright and get a gap, with the exception of Marcus from RISD and someone in a dapper vest and tie (Jack, aka Dapper Jack, an elite MTBer who was getting cheerio on his MTB, hopping all the barriers).  Marcus and I distanced his rad foppery soon and held him off for good.  We were racing for the win.

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My coach was yelling “He doesn’t know your watts!”  Translation: Marcus, he’ll win in a sprint, try to lose him!  Impromptu tactics training, I guess.  I’d make it work.  Marcus took the lead with 2 to go and I welcomed the break from pacemaking.  My plan was to attack the “hill” before the barriers since I noticed Marcus had a hard time clipping in after remounting.  Right on his wheel, we came around with 1 to go, but there were no lap cards.  Something was wrong  “One-oh-seven, one-oh-one.”  We were done?  Already?

I fumed with anger for a while.  They were waiting for me and Marcus to come through to change the lap cards.  An unusual way to do lap cards, and I hope they figure it out for next year.  It turned out that Marcus is a nice guy and I didn’t mind losing to him.  It was a fun event anyway and I’ll be back next year.  There were free doughnuts too, and I made it onto the dirtwire highlights reel, failing to hide my “screwed with my bibshorts on” face from the podium.

Shop ride is on for June 22!

Join us at 8AM at Community Bicycle Supply!

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