Sagebrush Safari XC – US Cup West Race 3

Number 3 of 6 down in the US Cup, though I am only likely to do 5 of them because one is in Colorado in June and being a 16hr+ drive, well its a little hard to justify for a long weekend. All of the races I have done thus far also count towards the Southern Californian State Series (so its 3 down out of 8 there).

Early on Sat 4th April 4 of us met at Al’s place, packed up his big RV and headed down towards San Diego. Not long after going through Temecula there was a weird sound from behind us and Jimmy noted how a big hunk of rubber just went flying past his window. We stopped and found out one of the tires had de-treaded itself and ripped off the wheel arch cover while it was at it. So we limped into the burbs and Al replaced all four tires and the spare with a set of EXTRA heavy duty tires. $600+ later we were on the road again having made the tire people’s morning. It was lucky it happened where it did otherwise it may have been a real nightmare had it blown in the middle of nowhere especially since one of the other tires sidewalls had a massive boil ready to pop.

We got to the Sagebrush Safari staging and camping area early that arvo after making it almost to the Mexican border having spotted a number of border patrol cars on the way. We setup and headed up for a small spin. Rob was there racing in the pro class, Al was racing pro single speed and Jimmy was racing Cat 2 single speed. Anyway long story short it was a fun wee ride but we ended up spending almost 2hrs on the bikes, riding 29km and climbing 700m. Not really the ideal prep for the race tomorrow. We rode the whole shorter course that Jimmy would ride tomorrow. The rest of us would have to add a 13km extension up Mt Pinus (get your head out of the gutter) with a further 400m of climbing. So the race for me, Rob and Al was 42km long with 1100m+ of climbing.

Anyhow after a chill night with the wind blowing a gale and the boys in the tents being buffeted around for half the night we relaxed till the 11am start times. This course was designated as the most diverse of the series and I think it will prove to be. It went as follows:

• Started with a 2 miles of flat rolling tarmac. This was weird. The whole group was together. 20+ riders in my wave. Someone would break and everyone would charge and draft. The whole peloton would slow right down no one wanting to break wind and waste energy. Then someone would breakaway and slowly a few people got dropped. This process happened again and again.
• Hit the first climb. About vertical 300m up tarmac and I struggled to hang with the top guys. I held my own and was 7^th up the climb.
• Hit the first single-track and started to realize why I MTB again (I was wishing I had my 17 pound road bike for a while then).
• It was like a big BMX track. Rolling, swoopy with some blown out corners and rock sections to keep it interesting. I passed one guy in my class about 5 mins into this section.
• So after cranking up and down rocks, sandy slopes and managing to keep the rubber side down in the windy dusty conditions I caught up to the top Pro women bar one who blew the field away. I hit a fire road and attempted to ride one-handed while trying to eat a squeezy. Well I soon got put off that idea as riding at 25+mph with loose rocks and ruts to deal with one-handed is not one of the brightest things I have done.
• The most technical climb of the track was up now and though I cleared all but a small part yesterday today too many people were falling about all over the place so it was hike-a-bike time. Once at the top it was back to double-track styles. It was middle ring territory, cranking up and down the small hills along the ridge hanging on trying to make the wheels stick to the desert sand. It was swooping, pretty smooth, fast and major fun.
• A small rip down a rough fireroad, through a small creek crossing and then it was up up up again ;-)
• Eventually it turned to tarmac again and people were everywhere. The top girls were still about fighting it out between themselves. It was cool to be witness to that competition. They are real strong. At one stage one of the girls burst up the hill and draughted some other guy. I had 2 of the Kenda sponsored girls behind me and I made it my mission to slowly drag them back up to the other girl. It worked and I also passed the guy but he was not in my category.
• After reaching 4-corners where we headed down the hill yesterday to complete the short course I today headed up for the extra 13km, 400 vertical meter loop. It was sapping tarmac right till the top (my calves quivering for much of the way). For you Welly guys its much like starting from the top of Willis St and climbing up the road till a near the top of Hawkins hill. The grades were similar.
• Anyway having been in pain for 30 mins it was with much delight I reached the start of downhill fireroad. As it would turnout for maybe the next 15mins I had the biggest grin on my face I am sure. It made all the pain worthwhile. I let rip and was beginning to the get the feeling of the new HT with the 110mm stem and lo-rise monkeylite bars. For 2 mins it was rough fireroad then it was wide singletrack for the 450-500m descent. All I can describe it as is a single-track Super D course with heaps of BMX style whoops. It went something like… straight section – whoop (airtime for a second or two at 30kph) – land - brake shit brake - rail berm - down chute (dodge rock) - round blow out corner - dodge ugly looking bush - whoop (shit flew a bit too far that time) – corner (dam stay in the rut wheel) – berm – whoop (whoa that’s sweet, went a good few meters that time) – c$%p brake (yell, pass slow person taking out a bush on the way) – pump, pump, pump – whoop – berm – rocks (oops bit fast, please don’t puncture) – Whooopie :-)
• Well you get the idea. It was WICKED. No one caught me and I passed a bunch of people all whom were good and let me through as best they could. Some of them pro’s must be roadies cause I picked off a few of them aswell.
• Back to four corners after a good chat up the last hill with one of the other Cat 1 racers in an older age group before it was down the last downhill of the day.
• It too rocked my world. Having ridden it the day before and eaten dirt I held it together and we were all needing too hold back a little cause we were with all the short loop people at this stage.
• Passing people is an art of patience and urgency all rolled into one. I seem to have few issues and most will let me through. I have perfected the art I believe. It involves flying up behind them (in a controlled manor of course…). The skidding brakes and loud clicking freehub which came out of nowhere seems to make them realize I mean business. They will often pull over a little themselves. If not I say something like “when there’s room I’ll come through”, if they pass by a spot that will work and don’t let me by then I get more proactive. As soon as I can see a spot coming up I yell on the right or left and make my way through, though taken by surprise sometimes I skip through fast and no damage is done. I have never (touch wood) caused an accident. I always say thanks and always get a friendly reply back. I stay in the good books and feel good myself. 12/24hr events have perfected this for me. At times this has lead to off track detours but that’s my issue to deal with, especially when there is a big rock hidden in the grass or a huge hole under the pine-needles (Rotorua/Taupo anyone!!!)
• Anyway I crossed the dusty line in 2hrs 3mins. Good for 6^th, 10 mins down on the top guys in my category who would have been in the top 10 in the Pro Category. Go figure.
• All 3 of us Don’s boys finished real close to each other. With the staggered start we were only a few mins apart in the end. Rob getting me by a minute and Al only 2 mins down on a Single-speed (2nd Pro Single Speed). Dam that’s an effort. Lisa came through in 4^th place. Her field is tight. Less than 5mins separating the top 4 in her category.
• Sid Taberlay, the Aussie Nat Champ racing for Team Shoair over here this year won the pro class again somehow taking another 20mins off my time. Pretty incredible. They are climbing machines.

So all in a great weekend, and even though all the tarmac was there it meant some mean as descents on the dirt. Great times. Bring on the pain of the Mulholland Challenge this weekend. The first of the King of the Mountains Centuries. 176km with 3700m of climbing. Dam why am I doing this. Goddam road bike. I will not feel my man parts for hours, yikes. Well that is if I can make it. It will prob be about 9hrs on the bike. This is the biggest ride I have ever done for sure. Stay tuned if you care…