Elite
Here's a nice video montage of the race.
Mission accomplished! I knew today would be my best opportunity to score a series top-25 result, earn points and money. Thanks in large part to a small field, I achieved my goal and then some, by actually sneaking into the top-20. Quantity may have been down, but quality wasn't as 4 of the 8 guys (1 DNF) I beat are all ranked ahead of me for the series. One as high as 14th. I now sit a pretty 46th! Nothing to brag about, but it's the first ranking I've ever had in the series, EVER!
Fantastic fotos courtesy of great guy Paul Weiss
This event has been on my schedule for the last few years since the fam and I are usually in the area for Thanksgiving. Since Drake had his toncils out and we all laid low at home for the week, I ended up just zipping down to the event solo. I have experienced the typical winter weather extremes here complete with snow on the ground and frigid temps. Today, however, delighted us to an early winter day with temps right around 40 with the sun peeking in and out of the clouds. Normally this would make for a pretty predictable day bike handling-wise. But, this has to be one of the more unique courses on the circuit held on the grounds of a middle school. The defining characterstics are its 3/4 lap around a dirt/stone dust track; a stiff uphill run; 
a fast descent right into a tall double log step up;
and off-camber slopes with turns. The weather plays a role by keeping the shaded sections frozen forcing you to stay on your toes, and bike! The announcer could be heard describing it as a BMX track that the young riders could excel on and also a course you could recover on. I suppose you could recover in the technical turns, but man, I was so intent on using these spots to make time I felt like I was all-out, all the time.Arrived on-site plenty early and had a nice chat with Brad Perley and his folks and got signed in. But, I needed to get some food in and drove into town for a tuna sub. I got in a recon lap before the elite women's race. The big debate was gearing. There was a short steepy after the barriers that demanded power to the pedals in a hurry, plus a hill-side turn after a straight. If course conditions were predicatable, one could easily carry momentum through and execute the necessary maneuver. But, the semi-slick conditions had me focused more on playing it safe and riding it out over just hoping for the best so I decided to drop to the little ring to get over them. Other than that, the course would have been fun had it not been a RACE course!
I got another quick ride in before my race with the late-arriving Burns (who happens to be one of my "nemesis" according to CrossResults.com!) and then lined up in the 3rd row. At the whistle there was plenty of room to find a lane, but the track was muddy and riders were throwing up crap in each other's faces and it was difficult to keep a straight line. I managed to have a "clean" start for the first time and was easily in the top-20 so I was content as we headed into the first set of turns. I chose a stealth line that sent me way wide, but at least on the bike as everyone else inside of me got bottlenecked and off the bike. Things got strung out pretty quickly and I found myself in a pack of 7 or so as we wound around the first lap. I was nailing the turns but the group would accelerate a bit more than I felt I could in the straights so I would rubber-band a bit. The tuna was letting me know it was still in my stomach!
Long story short, my group slowly splintered and I ended up riding a Rutgers kid, a TargetTraining guy, and fellow Mainer Dan Vaillancourt. The first 2 ended up taking off and I was just off Dan's wheel, never able to close within 3 bike lengths. Then, as luck would have it, he slipped on a turn and I got by. I accelerated to take advantage of the miscue and he was dropped. I hoped I could reel in anyone ahead, but with 2 to go, they were on the gas as well. I had a comfortable gap and was in no danger of being lapped so I just rode intelligently on the final loop and finished satisfied.Next up is the final 2 races of the series and my season in RI. It's going to be bittersweet fo' sho'
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