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What Jason saw:
Category: C
Result: Mid-pack
My second CX race. Again, a lot of fun. Andy, Eugene and I carpooled out to candlestick point. What I thought would be cold, wet, muddy weather, turned out to be a nice day with some mud but not a lot. This was my first Pilarcitos Super Prestige race. This was a very cool event. They had a huge Red Bull banner at the start. They also had the 1997 world champ some Italian, that rode the A's off his wheel and finished 2 mins in front.
The coarse started with a mud section, then a gully section with a barrier, a field section that zig zagged with another barrier with one small steep uphill, that finished off into a long flat street section.
I had one of the larger fields. They sent the C's and the juniors at the same time so I think there was 45 to 50 at the start. We took off and I dropped towards the back. I wanted to contest the front, but too many guys and I did not feel comfortable with being at the front. The first turn was the only real muddy section of the coarse. It was an S turn. Going into the turn I was about 4th from the back. But I quickly moved up. Going through the field section, which I later doubt "Ball breaker field" I was able to pass a lot of people on the straights.
After the first lap I pushed too hard on the field section, so the second time around I opted to spin through the field. This helped a lot, I was able to conserve energy and I was able to pass a lot of people on the flat section. 3rd lap too hard again, 4th lap I was going back and froth with a guy on a mountain bike, but I was still picking off people. The 5th and final lap I had to dig a bit, and finished strong for 17 of 36 guys in my field. 4:30ish off the front. A nice improvement from last race. I am also happy of the fact that I finished behind a guy that lapped me last race and was on a Mnt. bike with shocks.
I learned two things in this race. 1. Jump on a fast passing wheel and hold on. Hey why pass up a free ride? 2. Mark guys at the start. The guy I got to know at the start finished 5th. Had I locked onto his wheel I'd been up there with him. I am also starting to spot the fast guys.
Golden Gate next!
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What Eugene saw:
Category: Master A
Result: Back of pack
EB’s race report, Masters 35+ As.: A big bunch similar to CCCX, around 50+ starters. I stayed with the bunch at the start but was not quite the tail. This was a course I liked a lot better than the last two, I’m more used to grass and mud than sand and dust. In spite feeling like I rode better and seeing many (ok 4-5 folks drop out) I seem to have locked up 43rd place again. I did get a few guys as the race went on but let one guy from los gatos sneak past as I got lapped by a leader, cheap move, but such is racing. A good race, off to Watsonville next week.
There’s two picture of Andy on the abbiorca.com website, pilarcitos #2 master35+B.
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