Chris Cross EARLY!

Holy shit, someone inform the slackass police to remove my name, I actually have a race report that's not a week old. I haven't reported any good music lately either, so here's one... Company of Thieves, a female led alternative group out of Chicago. I'm not usually one to fall in love with a female led vocal band, not to sound gay or anything, but there's been few that truely grab my musical likings. Genevieve does tho, and Oscar Wilde, acoustic or not, is a great song to start with. Ordinary Riches is the only CD I've run across on Itunes, and it's a pretty damn good one.

So back to what ya came for, the report on what exactly went down this weekend. Let me start by making fun of those who didn't have the balls to come out and race in the colder than normal bulllshit Missouri weather. YOU FUCKED UP! Ha ha, really, you might have missed one of the most kick ass course to date. Then again I'm new to this cyclocross shit, but I heard from others that the course was well loved. Nice off cambered climbs, plenty of elevation, some sweet cobblestones, and enough bumps to weed out the tough from the weak.

I lined the SS class, as we waited to launch just 30 seconds after the 1/2/3's. I managed to find the front line, a postition I always try to grab. I find that as long as I can stay in the front, I can do well. We started on an uphill and I had one of the best starts of my life, with an instant clip in followed by an explosion of pedals to take the holeshot easily. I let Stephen Songer take the led though, because I have also learned that as long as you can hold to this dude, your going to be in the top two. He's been dominating the SS class, but each week I find myself holding his wheel longer and longer. Behind us chasing were Theodore Flemming and Chris Locke. Two more guys I knew I had to look out for.

Songer and I put in a gap early, but it wasn't as big as usualy. He led the first lap, I lead the second, and then he took back over on the third. We had a decent gap built up to this point, and that's when shit luck hit Songer. Coming into the tennis court section he dropped his chain, and I was forced to take the lead. I don't mind this postition but I haven't been in it enough for cross to feel comfortable. This was only about 20 minutes into the 50 minute race and I was a little uncertain how to keep my pace as to not fizzle out and lose my lead.

Well I held it... Took 1st. I felt good, and being able to see how far back Theodore was helped me with my pacing. Songer dropped his chain a bunch more and ended up 6th. This is turning into quite a interesting turn of events with the SS overall classification. Both Songer and I have a 1st and 6th, and both Theodore and Chris have a 2nd and 3rd. That puts their total even at 88 and ours at 84. If I can stay consistant and hold off Songer and those two, I can take the overall. That's going to lead to 3 though races...

Thanks to my old team of Cowtown for putting on quite the event. I really hoped it would have worked out with that team, but I've left to join the ranks of Team Ethos for reasons of we all fit together nicely. Travis did nice with a 6th in a very competitive 3/4 group. I can probably confidently say that there are some definent sandbaggers in that group, Dan O being ommited from that statement. Whoever that guy was who took first obviously looked to be an Open Racer in the wrong class for some points. Guess I won't say much more, but good job Travis non the less. Jamie was also out putting it down in the 4s.


I love that money shot.

BOULAVARD CUP THIS WEEKEND! See you then, or if you'd like you can come test your might Wednesday at the Swayze Memorial Cyclocross Race, I'll be there... Will you?