Aspen Lodge Cross

The second race in the Colordo Cross Cup was held at the Aspen Lodge near Allenspark.  This new venue provide a stunning back drop and a challenging course.  The course included quite a few technical sections and required races to be on their toes the entire time.  The course received mixed reviews, seemed like a love it or hate it thing, but either way it is always good to have some variety in a series.

Foxtrot-Echelon Racing was represented by 6 members.

3rd SM3: Brad Sims

4th SM4: Ciro Zarate

15th 45+: Tim James

28th SM4: Jon Maule

32nd SM3: JD Whitney

DNF (front flat): Ray Caruso

November/December Group Ride Schedule

Group rides will be on the road, leave from Foxtrot Wheel and Edge in Lafayette,  and be weather dependent.  Rides are open to anyone but expect average speeds in the 18-20 mph range.

Group Ride Dates- all dates on Saturday except where noted

———————————-Ride leader 1      Ride leader 2
November 6; 11am              Brad Sims             Dave Vogel (?)
November 13; 11am            Peter Schimpf     Dave Vogel (?)
November 20; 11am            Dave Vogel          Ray Caruso
November 27; 11am            Peter Schimpf     Brad Sims
December 4; 11am                Ray Caruso          TBD
December 11; 11am              Peter Schimpf     Dave Vogel
December 18; 11am              Peter Schimpf     Ray Caruso
December 26th; 1pm (Sun)    TBD                          TBD

Colorado Cross Cup, Cross at the River

Tim James, Jon Maule, JD Whitney, Colin Levitch, Ciro Zarate, and Brad Sims made the long drive to Buena Vista for the Cross at the River.  This was the first race in the ACA Colorado Cross Cup series.  It was very windy all day and the course was pretty dry with some really high-speed sections, two run-ups, and a sand pit right after a couple of barriers leading into the finish stretch.  Tim James got caught up in an early crash during the 45+ open race and spent the race chasing hard.  Despite the strong wind, which made jumping from group to group very challenging, Tim was able to work his way back up to 20th.   Later in the day Ciro, Jon (on a SS thanks to a busted shifter), and Colin placed 7th, 14th, and 15th respectively.  This secured CCC points for all of them and a call-up at the next series race.   JD and Brad raced SM3, the last field of the day.  Brad finished 2nd losing the sprint after spending the entire race on the front with one other racer.  JD finished 17th after battling the wind with the chase group.

2nd SM3: Brad Sims

7th SM4: Ciro Zarate

14th SM4: Jon Maule

15th SM4: Colin Levitch

17th SM3: JD Whitney

20th 45+ Open: Tim James

Interlocken CX, Boulder Cup #2

5 Foxtrot-Echelon Racers took on the soggy grass of Interlocken for the 2nd Boulder Cup event.

12th SM3: Brad Sims

16th SM4: Dave Vogel

22nd SM4: Paul Shumate

38th SM4: Jon Maule

40th SM3: JD Whitney

Brad heads up the run up (in the black/red long sleeve western themed Foxtrot skinsuit)

JD heads up the run up (in the black/red long sleeve western themed Foxtrot skinsuit)

Frisco CX

Frisco CX #2

11th SM3: Brad Sims

14th SM4: Dave Vogel

27th SM3: JD Whitney

Frisco CX #1

7th 45+ Open: Tim James

16th SM4: Jon Maule

Jon Maule’s Day 1 report: I raced with the 4′s on Saturday.  It was a blue sky and bone dry day with a decent breeze.  I didn’t get to see Tim race but his girlfriend was there!  I did get two scout laps in and I thought this was going to be a good course for me if I could keep my HR in control at elevation.  I ran a griffo up front @ 30# and a file tread @ 34# and that was great as long as I didn’t second guess my line and 42 w/ 11-28.

I’m not sure if they mixed up the course between Saturday and Sunday but Saturday started off with a longer climb (about a minute?) before taking a sharp left onto a double-track descent of loose dirt and bark before leveling out into a chicane more loose dirt (and bark).  Lots of dry loose dirt and bark.  There were some nice tight turns to keep the speed down and a sand/gravel area around the baseball field that really sucked the speed out of my laps and required enough power to keep the HR up higher than I wanted.  This was followed up shortly thereafter by a nice loose and bumpy downhill that required a hard right just after bottoming out. followed by a nice loose run up (although I did see some from the men’s open field ride it???) and then back through to the finish.  I guess I’d say this was more of a “power” course that favored people who were confident making high speed turns in loose stuff.  I tried to pin it without killing myself at the start and was somewhere in the top 10-15 at the beginning of the descent.  I was thinking I’d give it a reasonable effort to hold my spot, recover and try to kill it the last two laps.  Unfortunately the leaders were too far up and I really just ended up putting more time into the people behind me.  I ended up 16th of 36.

Brad Sims Day 2 report: JD and I raced the 3′s group in the late afternoon on Sunday.  We arrived there plenty early and got a solid warm-up in together, it was great having a teammate to do laps with and discuss the course.  It was a perfect course for me, started with a long uphill stretch and included lots of power sections.  JD and I had a back row start out of about 35 guys since they did the call-up based on the previous days results.  Not wanting to be behind all the ruckus for the decent I flogged it up the right side and hit the top about 10th wheel.  Just as we started to work through a twisty bark/stick covered section I heard a huge crunch and watched a stick explode in front wheel taking out a spoke at the same time.  The wheel didn’t look too out of true so I kept hammering.  I continued working my way up and I was feeling better than I ever have in a cross race but that front wheel was getting worse.  As I went through the pits on the first lap I yelled at Dave that I needed a front wheel.  During the first half of the second lap I had worked up to 4th and was quickly moving in on the leaders.  I rolled into the pit and Dave was there ready with the wheel.  I totally should have just let Dave do the change but I tried to help but my zone 5 panicked brain just got in the way and made it take longer.  One at a time riders were going by and then a huge group of 8-10 riders went by just before I headed back out.  After a few barriers there was a nice long sand pit where I took back most of that group.  My Ox mass hanging way back over that rear wheel with a good application of power was a huge advantage in the sand.  Still feeling good but a bit panicked I went really hard and worked my way back up to with in sight of the leaders.  Then I tried to pass the 5th place guy in a tight uphill left hand turn and I pulled off my rear tire, turd sandwich.  Luckily the pit was really close so I ran down to it and once again Dave was there to help and I was there to get in the way.  All my work just did evaporated as all those guys came by again.  I jumped back on and went back to work.  Amazingly my legs were still feeling good and I was powered by some frustration anger.  I started passes the same guys for the 3rd time and worked my way back to 11th.