Nice weather despite the temps today. Another near perfect BayCross weekend. Things warmed up though and so did the racing. A three race event. It kicked off with a kids race at 10:30 – it was really fun to watch & actually close one right up to the finish.
The action followed with a good sized 45 minute “B” race. Who’s become a regular traveler to the annual BayCross events, Jeff Staloch, pushed it from the get go & eventually distanced himself for 1st & from a close finish between Jim Metry & Dave Cismas who took 2nd & 3rd.
For an event that is regularly growing, it was great to see the all the racers that made the trip from the Eau Claire area & Duluth/Superior mix it up with our local riders. To name a few, we had big time EC area cycling supporter Bob Schwartz make the venture up. The newest local Doc formerly of the U.P., Ryan Brang, was initiated into local racing by showing up & giving it a go. In addition, James Sajdak, Dennis Liphart, Chris Bulovsky & Scott Armstrong (until his race was cut short) to mention a few other friends.
The B race was also the Women’s open race. It was treat to meet my coach’s (Gordy Paulson) daughter Aimee Zabrowski (btw, she’s got a sweet looking cross bike). Apparently she knows how to ride it as well, has some good gene’s or hard work ethic passed down from her dad as she won the Women’s event. Followed by the Lisa Weisphenning in 2nd & in 3rd my dear wife, Kate, who thought to jump in even after her 6 mile run at 7am this morning… (w.t.h. is with that? Must be something in the well water at the Swanson house – encourages inane amount of physical activity? And along along I thought it was just me?) Personally? Being the financial guy I am, I’m thanking her for coming thru, getting on the podium & bringing home the prize money. She claims to have had fun & enjoyed herself…but I thinking it was a ploy to have a fantastic reason to go out with the girlfriends tonite for some pampering. Can’t blame her… I’m thinking a 6 mile run woulda killed me.
That’s finally brings up the big pony race, the 60+ minutes of searing lungs & ripping-off-legs kinda racing… the “A” race. Starting at 1 it was all fun & jokes til the metaphorical gloves came off (the real ones…, they were gonna stay on cuz it was still pretty chilly) at the starting siren.
Jack Zabrowski, showed no hesitation in getting things rolling, followed by Jon Jurek & Scott Nesvold. Me? I’m happy to let some else take charge cause everytime I lead out the first lap of that damn race – it’s tends to be alittle hot, thereby giving the officials an exaggerated unsustainable speed to calculate the remaining number of laps… always put us at WELL over an hour. I’m not happy with it and usually neither is the rest of the racers.
The course designed by Mike Weisphenning, quickly strung things out into a long train of riders on the initial out & back starting loop. Putting you directly in the line of sight of the other racers-- so you could peer back into the eyes of those behind you. There’s this thing about not looking certain animals in the eyes, it’s dangerous…. I’d say the same thing goes for cyclo-cross racers. Especially the ones with drool coming out of their mouths…anyways…
Yeah, so back to the race, Jack leads things through the first set of triple barriers with Jon following close as I pass Scott Nesvold & move into 3rd. Again, happy to be there. The course was sorta like a partial irregular starfish pattern. It put you out on fingers/tentacles only to wind you back into the center of things. Great for spectators!
I made a move mid lap to go to the front only to have my rear brakes fail me on the 180 degree turn & send me into the toolies & put Jack, Jon & Scott back in front of me. On the gravel road section that lead through the old Prentice Park deer park (think of that for a second– there used to be a day & age when they fenced in deer so people could view them – now it’s just a work of art to dodge them on a drive home day or night.) I worked my way back to the front & was content leading things for a while & still holding the first lap time in check.
Lap 2 of the 8 lap race I felt the need to go for a go old fashion beat down workout with or without company. It got me an ever increasing gap….until that is – the earlier mentioned 180 degree corner decided to rip air out of my front tire –ugh. The tubeless Michelin Mud2’s burped some & put me in that place no one in a cross race likes to be. Coaxing along a near flat tire to the pit area. Fortunately I shouted out to a friend/spectator three quarters of the way thru the lap & it allowed them to notify Kate to bring over my spare front tire. I’ve never had the misfortune to had to pit in a ‘cross race, do some mechanical & try to get back into the race. I knew I had a gap to work with… I just didn’t know for how long. I was able to stop the bike, unskewer the wheel & watch 1,2, 3 guys go by before I could spin in the new wheel, adjust the brakes & get back to chasing.
Fortunately or not, this made for the biggest effort lap of the race. The guys in front weren’t showing me any mercy… a bunch of piranha’s smelling blood I tell ya! So I went about my merry way of trying to reel them in. I’d count the seconds of when they’d pass a point until I got there. It wasn’t looking good for awhile. In the open sections I noticed I was closing more but some of the technical stuff which I was riding well, but they were riding just as good. Wasn’t until Kit Cischke found that same air-ripping-from-ones-wheel 180 degree corner and went completely flat did it slow those guys up for me to pass them again.
Confident in my equipment, I tried to pour it on the rest of the race. I have this mixed feeling about shooting for lapping any racers. Some appreciate it (because they have 1 less lap to do), others…well, it’s also not fun to get lapped or pulled early from a race. I get that.
As it would go, I manage to continue a similar pace the remainder of the race & keep the lead into the finish. It was a hard but good workout. I raced with a G3 powertap so I could take a look at the effort afterwards. Not quite on par to where I wanted it, but given the recent hard week of training, it’s not something to be bummed about.
It was great watching the finishes behind me at the end as they had a few close ones at the line of guys that went back & forth during the race. The Brian Hammond, Scott Nesvold & Kelly Mcknight one especially. Brian put the hammer down that Scottie couldn’t come around on.
The lowdown on the results below… pics probably up at Skinnyski or another site later. Big great tasting potluck after, along with awards and nice swag/give-aways.
Local event or not, it’s a great friendly race & festivity that I strongly encourage any person put on their calendar. It’s always been a good time before, during and after the race. Be on the lookout for it again next year! Til then ride hard & keep the wheel down…
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