Training....In the rain, the snow, the wind, the cold... did I mention the cold? Finally this morning one can get out and see how all the winter & spring efforts pay off. It's been a very different type of off season so one can only wonder...
With the WORS & MNSCS opening races on Sunday, along with the windy & cooler conditions today it'll be interesting to see who shows up to toe the line at the Cable Off Road Classic. In past couple years it's had between 190 racers to as many as 250 when there's not be other races the same weekend.
Anyone hoping for the delightful opening singletrack in the first half of the race...well, you'll have to wait another year. A course revision likely from not enough rider input has the 23 mile course spending an inordinate amount of time on forest & gravel roads without the normal mix of single track. On the positive side, the race will go by fast... very fast (hold onto your lactate threshold).
Mostly it'll be good to see all the guys & gals that I haven't seen since last Sept/Oct and swap stories and catch up. You can bet the Duluth crew will be in their normal stellar early season form (may I be fortunate enough to latch on). If it's a smaller race field and not alot of the MNSCS racers come up today, heck even if they do -- I'm going with my three picks for winning Todd McFadden, the guy just always seems to perform at this race(he's got a 2nd place, a couple 6th places) this could be his year. Then there's Scotty KJ -- fast race, shorter distance if he's previous ailments are behind him he'll definitely be out front at a big portion of this race. Of course, if the hometown Jesrin Gaier been back on the horse training and I was a bookie in Vegas you could give the entire field a significant point spread and Jesrin would still pull out the big W. On the ladies side, again unless a speedy Jenna Zander or Kyia Anderson show up Sara KJ & Diana McFadden would be my guesses this early in the season.
Good likelihood the Cheq. Bay area guys will have one of their best races as a group, each year their abilities, the amount of time on the bike and likely their competativeness grow. I think it's even hard to pick the order of finish among them with Matt Hudson being the wild card. Belknap usually can come off ski season without almost any time on the bike and hold his own but it'll be interesting to see what Mcknight & Hudson have to say about it.
The Cable area will be missing Scottie Chapin but still represent well and the rest of the field is always a question mark as to who will come from Central WI or the Twin Cities.
Good luck & hope to see you all there!!!
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