Grants Ranch

This was an opportunity race, my chance to finally hold the coveted leaders jersey. Been 4 years that I have been racing in the high school mountain bike league and I have yet to don that jersey...time is running out. It was the perfect opportunity. A race that suited me, more of a road race then a mountain bike. I had gotten 2nd at the race last year in a sprint, and if I beat Nate Byrom, the current leader, by 2 spots then I would hold the jersey.

It was not exactly the perfect run up of a week into the race. I had a sore, inflamed hip that had been messed up in a time trial on the 15th of march and further damaged during a hard copperopolis road race. A massage on the monday led to easy rides and rest days. Saturday was the first day that I got to open up the legs a little and it felt good. I was optimistic. This would be my race.

It was an early start to the day. Luckily I had an awesome father willing to chaffeur me to the race while I slept lounge chair style sitting on two pillows and resting my head against another. I got to the race and went for a pre-ride of the course. The grass was still wet and the chill in the air was not to my liking, as the early devoured food burned my throat. Not exactly a comfortable pre-ride, but I continued with optimism. We were at the race site at around 8 and my race was not until 1, so I had a lot of time. I returned to the car for a nice nap, followed by some bread and nutella, a banana and some clif bloks- the perfect pre race food. A good warm up and some sprints with teammates led to the starting line.

We began and finished on a stretch of bumpy grass. It was not an enjoyable ride on this section and this year it was even more than last year. Last year the finishing stretch had a chicane, but this year it was a dead straight sprint. I had utilized the chicane last year to make my move, but this year I had to make it earlier.

With all of these thoughts on my mind, we were off. I got the hole shot so to say. We went into the climb, with Nate and I riding the front. He seemed content to ride slow and I didnt have many other ideas for the first lap. So we rode, it was like no mountain bike race that I had ridden before. Slow on the climb and then even slower on the flats. Finally, a rider from Marin Academy, by the name of Daniel Boyes, took charge and drilled it for the remainder of the flat section. We hit the hill and I went to the front and drilled it. At the top of the climb I was with 1 other rider with 3 at about 15 seconds back. I asked the rider if he wanted to work together. He declined with a defiant NO! So I sat up and sat back at the edge of the pack as I wondered if my legs would begin to feel better. Now, as I sit here, I wish that I had just gone for it then and tried to solo it. At least it would have been more of a race. This race was just getting boring.

Once again we rolled along the flats and then we hit the hill and I went to the front. This time I didnt drill it as hard, but mixed in some harder jumps, its not very easy to jump on a mountain bike, at least its not the same as a road bike jump, but nonetheless it was fun and I got the group down to about 5 again, as many other riders had caught back on along the flats.

Then we hit the hill for the last time. I hit it hard at the beginning of the hill and then a rider from San Rafael, Will Curtis, continued to drill it. My legs began to die at that point, but as I looked behind me I could see the leader fading. We were dropping him. This was my shot. I gave it my all and surged at the front. I paid for it at the steep rollers that were still left, but I made it over them all. I sat in the back of the pack,trying to regroup for the sprint. Then Nate caught back on and it became apparent that I would need to win the sprint. My attacks on the climb were what I had planned, but with no one else willing to play they did not break up the pack as much as I had hoped.

Along the flats a los gatos rider drilled it and I was suffering near the back, chilling in the draft. Then I realized that we were getting close to the end and I needed to get up to 2nd wheel at least. So I went for it on the left of Nate. He was having none of it and decided to shove me into a gate and I fearing the gate, gave him a shove right back. Then we were riding in a ditch. He was out first and then I, trying to regain speed in a my big ring. Then it was over. The closest rider behind me was about a minute. So I rolled across the line devastated. The Jersey would not be mine today. After a quick spin I felt content. I raced hard, I gave it my all and then at the end it was just bike race. TBR. There were a few choices that I made that could have been different and maybe going solo was a choice I could have gone for. I doubt that I would have made it, but at least it would have made for a more exciting race. The way that my legs were feeling though, I think that I made the right choices. Another day, another dream. Wards Ferry road race and then Madera Stage Race followed by Sea Otter. A world of races to come and then, a category 2 upgrade. Things are looking up.

tb