Bubba Cross Weekend Numero Uno

So this past weekend was the first weekend for Bubba Cross races here in the STL. Cross season has now officially started, not just silly preseason races. Both races were at Faust Park this weekend, Saturday being a night race, and Sunday during the day. The saturday course was pretty fun and somewhat tacky. The weeks rain had left the ground soft, but not wet like I had hoped for. I started the race pretty conservatively, but jumped around about ten guys mid first lap. I ended up being with Mark Nagy and Jeff Yielding battling for 6th. We dropped Yielding but he kept clawing back. I was way faster than them both through the barriers and the climb that immediately followed. Coming through the start/finish into the last lap I was following Nagy, and hit the first turn super hot. I slid out/somersaulted and ended up about 5 feet past my bike. I hopped back on, but my shifting was out of wack. I only had my 12 in the back. I noticed my cable had popped out by the headtube, I kept going until the barriers where i stopped and asked the Lindenwood boys for some help. Nagy and Yielding had gotten away, and Pence, who had been in hot pursuit of our trio, had passed me. In their drunken confusion they just started hitting my rear deraileur. I took off and was able to hold off whoever else was chasing, and took 9th. Kinda bummed because I was pretty sure I could have had 6th or at least 7th, but thats bike racin. I was more upset by the large dent I found on my downtube when I took my bike off the roof back at campus. I put the dent, and my horribly sore knee together, and deduced that my knee is what did the damage during the crash. Pretty bummed, but the frame's still functional. I have an excuse for a pit bike for next year now. Grbeans took 2nd to Butthead, which was rad.

Saturday came and again another race. I started pretty conservatively again, but was eager to move up. I was with Kurt Fletcher and Yielding, and saw Grbeans, butthead and nate slipping away. I was hesitant but I jumped up to buttheads wheel and off we rode. Us 4 rode together for about 3-4 laps or so. It wasnt really hard to stay with them, but then nate started attacking. I kind of blew up trying to follow at a bad time up a steep climb. I lost contact with them but stayed about 50 yards off of them for another lap or so. I made this attempt to make a few bucks right after losing contact with them, perhaps not the smartest idea.



I held off the chasing group of 5 to take 4th place. I was very happy with my ride. Grbeans and I are going to make a good attempt to dethrone the local nys/albert duo and show that there are some new kids on the block. on a side note, I rode my EC90 Aeros with Challenge Fangos, 34 up front and 32 in the rear. Awesome. Awesome. Awesome.