Ok, so after the first CX races in Michigan I came home and managed to break my bike while training for Iron Cross. I was out hammering around on MTB trails trying to work on my technical skills and I guess I went a bit too hard on the equipment ending up with a broken frame (both down tube and top tube). At least this was an older bike, and not one of the new team bikes. This left me scrambling to borrow a bike for the weekend race up in Maryland. Joe Coddington came to the rescue with his Cannondale that was just my size :)
That Saturday we drove up to Maryland to do the Ed Sander's Cross race on Sunday. Last year I did both the masters and elite race here....but this year I just registered for the elite race....maybe I am getting lazy? Cara was 2nd in her race. The elite field was relatively small at 25 riders.
I had a miserable start and was pretty far back for the fist part of the first lap. I was able to move up but there was 2 riders off the front and one had a significant lead. I ended up riding with 3 other riders chasing....while the rest of the field fell away a bit. At about 1/3 in I didn't think I would ever see the front of the race...but top 5 or even top 3 was possible....things unfolded a bit differently: The lead riders were fading, but it became 2 together at the front, chased by 1, chased by me and one other rider...although all the gaps were closing and it looked like we might have 5 riders together with 2 to go. The the rider in 3rd rolled a tire and we went by him, then the 2 front riders started fading fast as we were working hard to close the gap. All of a sudden we were on them, passing one after he dropped his chain on a run-up, then the other as he completely imploded from his first half race effort. Now I was in the lead with just one other rider.....
We hit the last lap riding tempo, I knew just where I wanted to attack on the back side of the course, and I guess he (Nathan Diebert) figured he could match me and beat me at the finish. I attacked just where I wanted , but he held me in check (especially since I overcooked a turn) and we were together coming into the last part of the course. There was only about 50 meters of pavement between the last loose gravel turn and the finish...so I knew my best chance was to lead, go as hard as I could through e last couple of turns and hold on.....which I did. Not often I win a sprint finish, but it was a nice win and an exciting race.
You can see a video of some of the race (including the sprint finish and an interview with me) here:
http://www.youtube.
