Puma Cross, Charm City, and Whirly Bird

Last weekend was the official start of cross season, it was a killer double header of Nittany cross and Charm City. I got to the velodrome just before things really got crowded. It was cool to see some of the people you don't see during the mountain bike season because they only race cross. After a nice warm up and a few laps on the fantastic course i pulled up to the start ready to go. I had a killer start right off the bat into the top five. I was feeling really good instill a couple of guys created a little space off the front and everyone started moving. They went and i could not respond, so they got a small gap on me. Then Bryon came by bring the race back together. I was able to grab his wheel for a short period of time until i couldn't anymore. Unfortunately he brought others with him to the front and some of them passed me, including a C3 team mate. I managed to get 5th place.

After that I went down to Marcs house with Zach where we had a fantastic dinner of pasta and chicken. We had to go to bed early for the early rise to set up the course. We pulled into the Charm city venue at about 5:30, it was still dark out and everyone feet were soaking wet and freezing. A bunch of stakes and marking tape latter, the course was ready to race. I had a decent starting place in about the middle of the pack. I think a lot of people thought that the first left was earlier then it was because everyone started moving over that way. When that happened a gap along the right side of the road opened up and i cruised through it. going from like the middle to almost at the front. After the first couple laps Mark B. and i were at the front for a while. Then a group caught up to us and we were riding together. I hit a hole in one of the bumping sections causing my hood to slip down the bars and squeeze my front break. I was trying to stand up and go fast but it wasn't working. After switching bikes i went off to try and catch the group that dropped me. I did for a little but wasn't able to hold on, i think i ended up 13th.

Today was the whirly bird cross, it was sweet just like last year. This year however it was much dryer and faster. I had my number pinned on the wrong way so i missed my call up getting it fixed and was in a pretty crappy starting spot. The gun goes, and just as the pack gets up to speed the guy in front of me goes down, and takes me down with him. Are bike are interlocked and i jumped up and just started pulling. After what seemed like for ever they poped lose and i was off. The rest of the race was pretty much try and catch up, which at the end really started to hurt. Their was a pack of five guys that were slowly gaining on me the last lap and i was not going to let them get me. I pushed and pushed and narrowly escaped being caught. I got 6th.

Off to Ed Sander Mermorial Race tomorrow!!