Sunday, October 30, 2005

It's a tangled web we weave, (pause) Corey.


Well, I didn't pull off the double, but I'm still happy with today's race. I had a horrible starting position. Last row on a narrow fast uphill start. When we got to the bottleneck when the path left the cement and hit a sharp "S" curve, I honestly think I could have stopped and drank a cup of coffee waiting for everyone in front of me to get through. I started moving up quickly after the first lap. I caught and passed Bryce, a kid I know from collegiate racing, and then crashed right in front of him going into a loose sharp right hand corner. He rode over my bike, but I hopped right up and got back on his wheel. I ended up passing him and moving up farther and farther until I settled into about 11th position. I passed one guy through the feed zone, and then on the last lap I passed an Al's Barbershop rider and moved up into 9th. I was chasing another Al's rider and thought I could get him before the finish, but I guess I let it all hang out, a little too far. I lost it in a right handed bend and slid on my left leg and knee right back into 10th position.

I still thought I had a chance to get back into at least 9th if not up into 8th, so I tried not to let the crash get to me, and I hammered out the rest of the lap, only to lose it in one of the last sharp corners. This time I knocked my rear wheel hard enough that it was like riding with my rear brake completely squeezed, and my handlebars were at at least a 45 degree angle to straight. I limped it in and got passed by the guy I'd passed in the feed zone to finish in 11th. I went into the race hoping for a top 15 finish and I guess I accomplished that, but the top 10 was so close that I can't help but wish I'd have at least held onto the 9th that I was sitting in. Oh well, that's racing, right? I took a chance and it didn't pay off. A very very wise man once told me, "It's a tangled web we weave, Corey, you have to be willing to risk losing in order to win." I guess in the battle for top ten, I risked losing and I lost. Overall I'm very pleased with how the upgrade went. I really feel like this is where I should be racing, and I have plenty of room for improvement.


Once again I had an amazing photographer making sure I had plenty of images of myself to sit here and look at all night. Carly Simon would be proud. It's a rough life handing up bottles and taking pictures, so I think this burger was well deserved.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

When is the Rocky Mounts Team coming to SD?

Anonymous said...

I like the way you see it Corey
sw

Anonymous said...

Very solid start in Cat 3's, get that bike fixed got month left in the season, maybe I have to come watch you tear it up one weekend if i'm not working. Scott thats not looking paleo!

Anonymous said...

Corey are you going to be racing this Saturday down in Lakewood?