NSAT Cycling Team

Kyle has been crushing it all season. He has been eyeballing those podium steps. Yesterday he had a great race and ended up landing on the third step. WAY TO GO KYLE!!!! I am sure it will not be long before he is standing on the top step.

The Bamacross series keeps steamrolling through the season. Race #5 took place in Anniston, AL last Saturday night. Here is a recap of the Cat 4 race in which I partook.

I was somewhat excited about the Anniston race up until Saturday. I woke up that morning and I was just not feeling that excited anymore. The skies were gloomy and the wind was howling. I felt groggy and unmotivated to say the least. Since my race was not until around 5:30pm, I had plenty of time to get to the venue. I was in no hurry to make the hour drive over to Anniston.

I decided to eat lunch a little later. Wow, what a mistake. I was so full from eating tacos. Definitely not the best prerace food.  After getting lunch, I went back home and corralled my bike racing stuff together. I took my sweet ass time putting it all in the car. I still felt unmotivated at that point. Once the gear was ready to go I decided I was ready as well. Jennifer and I headed towards Anniston.

I arrived at Woodland Park around 3:45pm. I did some warm up laps and started feeling better. The wind was still blowing somewhat but the sky had cleared.  Kyle and Chris arrived and we did several more prerace laps to get acquainted with the course. The winding race path had several leg searing climbs. It also featured barriers, gravel, asphalt, run ups, and a sandpit. I practiced the sand a couple of times just to make sure I could ride it. I was good to go. The first races were underway. The energy and excitement filled the air. Nightfall was upon us and the stadium lights shined.

By 5:40pm the skies were completely dark. The night had arrived. The CX 4’s were lined up and ready to race. We stood there for what seemed like an eternity. At 5:50pm we quickly pedaled our bikes off of the start line. The pack was off, barreling down the race course. It seemed everyone was together for a quick minute and then a gap started to form. The lead  group was riding away and I knew I needed to get there. There was only one person between me and the leaders. I knew if I could pass, I could bridge up to them. I timed my pass, squeezed around my nearest competitor, and crossed the gap to the lead group.

Once with the group, the racers and course snaked through several turns. It then headed uphill. At the top I was still locked to the lead train of at least 6 or 7 guys. We took a downhill into a sweeping left turn. Rider down! Somehow I swerved around the crash but not all were that lucky. I was still with the front group but not for much longer.

After the first barrier section I turned and headed downhill. I hopped the grassy curb onto the asphalt and unintentionally unclipped my shoe. I had trouble clipping back in and a gap was formed. I rode hard to catch back on. I was doing well until the next barrier. My foot caught it and I was going down. I miraculously stayed off the ground and kept running up the hill. I heard “good save!” from some one behind me. Several guys passed me. I shook off my comedic trip up, remounted and started to pedal again. Did I finally get my shit together?

The next several laps passed with no consequence. I settled into the race and I held my position. I drove my bike as good as I could for the evening. I pedaled, ran, hopped, dismounted, and remounted without incident. I was stoked that I cleanly rode the sandpit each lap. Then the last lap came.

I was still riding a good race I thought. Only one more guy managed to gain a position on me. Then, on the backside of the course, it happened. FUUUUCK!!! I slung my chain off. I slung it off at the very bottom of an uphill off camber section. I fumbled with the chain for what seemed like an eternity. It was only really a couple of seconds. It was just long enough for at least 5 riders to pass me. I put the chain back on, ran to the top of the hill, and jumped on my bike.

I was so fucking angry!  I don’t know if it was rage or the fact I got a few seconds of rest from having to stop. I was pedaling like my insides were on fire! I started picking off some of the guys who passed me during the chain drop. I tried to push it full gas for the remainder of the last lap. I was hurting! I was so glad the race was almost over. The final turn came and I mashed it through the sandpit. I was able to pick off one more racer right before the finish line. I ended up with a 9th place finish.

Fast forward a week to today. The Sloss Furnace race is this Sunday. I predict Sloss will be a completely different animal than Anniston. The weather has changed dramatically. It has been raining outside for two days straight. The temperature outside has taken a nosedive into the 30’s. That is COLD when you consider it was sunny and 60 degrees only a few days ago. More rain is expected tomorrow. Could it be that mud and freezing temps will be on the menu for Sloss? One can only hope!-T

Yesterday was the fourth race of the 2011 Bamacross series. For the third time the venue was John Bensko Park in Brookside, AL. With autumn in full swing, the park was alive with beautiful colors of red, orange, and yellow. What a picture perfect backdrop for a day full of cyclocross racing.

As the leaves changed colors, the race course changed it’s colors as well. There was a definite departure from the two previous Brookside courses. With the race reversed, the course tape wound around the baseball field. It meandered down along Five Mile Creek, taking full advantage of all of it’s sandy shoreline. Along with several more run ups, the new course had more snaky twists and turns than the first two races. The main feature of the race was an iffy  downhill section to the beach into a run up with a LONG sandpit. One just long enough so that it made legs burn like the eighth plane of hell.The Bamacross folks definitely took the course design to the next level for Brookside #3. So much pain, but so much fun at the same time.

Chris running the sand in the singlespeed race

Kyle leading the charge down to the beach

Pain face

Beach Party

There were only three of us Non Stop Art guys who stormed the beaches of Brookside Sunday November 6th, 2011. Chris doubled up once more for the singlespeed race as well as the CX4 race. Kyle and I joined Chris for the 4s. We all got a good start and everything was going well. At a little over half of a lap into the race, Kyle’s back tire blew out. It was so loud, I thought someone in the woods shot a gun. Unfortunately, the blow out ended his race day and I was bummed for him. After wrapping my mind around Kyle’s misfortune, I kept to the task at hand. Pedal, pedal, run, pedal! Burning matches one by one, I was riding as hard as I could ride for the day. By the last lap, the running was taking it’s toll on my legs. I was fading. I felt the podium slip from my grasp with a third of a lap to go. With several strong Bici Coop guys biting at my heels, I still managed to hang on for a fourth place finish. Chris came across the finish line not long after, bringing the teams race day to a close.

Chris crossing the finish line in the 4 race

Next stop on the Bamacross circuit, Anniston, Alabama. Time to get geared up for some night racing under the lights!-T