First year anniversary - Alpenrose Dairy Clydesdale race

Decided to race after pre-walking the course Sat evening and feeling a child-like excitement about riding it the next day. Also, it would be the anniversary of my first race as a Hammer Velo rider. My account of that race (and inaugural race report) is here. Yep, 80 races later, I’m still thereabouts.

Taking my injured calf into account I decided to race the Clydes instead of the C’s. Our combined Clyde/men’s C field was 190 strong. Yes folks, that’s 34,000 lbs of rippled man-flesh riding, falling, sliding, running and jumping, cursing and otherwise tearing up the course. Since most of you rode the course or were there to spectate, except for KW who double flatted on the way and didn’t make it, I do not need to describe the layout. All I’ll say is that it was a better, more technical course than last year. It is worth noting that there were 1506 racers out there yesterday making it the biggest cyclocross event in the world we are told.

Mine was the third set of numbers to be called up. The C’s were let off two minutes ahead of us. Then we were off. Disaster nearly struck at the first claustrophobic bend when the guy ahead of me locked his brakes, skidded and nearly went down – I did the same and only just saved it. With all the traffic, the first lap was slow and I found myself behind Mr Smith who amused us all by bellowing out witty and sarcastic commentary from time to time.

Wombat sporting the OMG expression (photo: Julie Carter)

By lap two I had settled into a good rhythm and started reeling in some of the other Clydes and the slower C’s. I passed a few familiar faces in the C’s including AL and Danny K. After about 3 laps I was feeling pretty good but had settled into a kind of equilibrium where I was not gaining on the rider in front, Joe, sporting a Beavers jersey, and not totally dropping Mountain View’s Andrew Hayes. Towards the end I was passed by two riders who slipped in between me and Joe. In a final balls-out sprint in the velodrome I caught one of those riders in a sprint by the width of a Belgian frite to secure 8th place.

Problem area: The off camber grass above turn 3 of the velodrome. There was always traffic and could never get a good run at it.

No problem area: Winding up the sprint in the Velodrome straight.

Play of the day: A graceful endo at the base of the run-up.

All-in-all a fun day on and off the bike.

What is the first-year anniversary gift for a cycling team and racer marriage? blinky light, spoke, bar tape, wheel trueing nipple tightening thingy..........?