The Warda Race race report

Yesterday the 2010 Spring TMBRA series started of with a bang, literally. (Get it they used a starters pistol.) (Sorry aboot that.) While early in the week it was looking like we would be racing in mud and muck, the course conditions took a turn for the better. On Saturday, the local forums were filled with rumors of packed sand and fast cornering. Awesome!!

My race started with a half mile loop around to the barn and included my only mistake of the race. It took me about 30 seconds to get clipped in but once I found my pedal, it was on like Donkey Kong. I started gaining ground and passing a number of people and found my rhythm going into the single track. I passed a couple single speeders and continued through my first lap which was pretty uneventful.

My second lap was just uneventful with the exception of one guy who yelled at me to get out of his way on the Palisades. I don't know why he yelled at me, considering there were 3 people in front of me blocking my way, but apparently the 10 seconds he lost on climb will now prevent him from feeding his family. I would like to take a moment to talk about false flats. To me, false flats are God's way of poking fun at mountain bikers. I hate them because you are looking at it and it doesn't look like you should be struggling, but you are. Bluff Creek Ranch has three of them and they all suck.

My last lap actually included a little bit of racing and strategy. After the Palisades, I noticed a guy in my category sneaking up behind me. I knew he was going to catch me but I held him off until the false flat just before the BMX track. He went around me and built a sizable gap. Luckily, I have the BMX track and Roller Coaster dialed in and I know all my lines. I closed the gap on the track and started to reel him in on the Roller Coaster and then disaster struck. On of the younger lady racers was just coming around to finish her second lap and the guy I was racing got around her was pulling away. I calmly told her I was racing the guy that just went by and she immediately got over. She needs to be the one teaching racers etiquette. Once again it was just me and him. Coming around the last pond, I was 10 feet back and happy to stay there. Just before the finishing stretch there is a short little crap hill. I always see people mess up on it or brake too much to make the corner, so I back off the guy in front of me and then blast the hill. He braked for the corner and I by giving myself the gap and attacking the hill, I managed to pretty much even up with him. From there it was a sprint to the finish. He was in the wrong gear so I beat him relatively easily.

Well that's my race report. I finished 14/23 in 1:46:06

We had a number of customers come out to race and they all did well in their respective divisions.