Wednesday Wakefield 3

After last week's rain out, we got it on again this week. A few hours before the race, my legs still got tired climbing the stairs. Was hoping for a magical Michaux bounce in a couple hours. Good pre-lap though, spent a couple times going over that log at the high spot of the woods, the one everyone goes around to the left. My log mentor, Barry O'Melinn has been telling me for years to hop that one in the races. It is the straighter line after all, and it's kinda clumsy going around it at speed. I tried it each lap, and I even got passed once there by Jonathon. Later on, I passed a lapped racer as he went around it. Didn't seem all that faster to me since I had to slow down some to get the wheel tap right, and I got passed there. I guess Barry just manuals it?? I'd like to see that.

I had the hole shot somehow as Jonathan washed out on the gravel 20 seconds into the race. I geared it past Pearce as I think he was looking back at Jon. Held 1st all the way thru the creek trail, then pulled aside and let Pearce go, and asked Nick if he wanted it too. That began my yo-yo between 3rd-5th-3rd-5th for the race. I was beaten by guys running 29ers with both lower, and higher gears, and Paul on his 2:1 26er. Same story every race. I'm beginning to think that gearing has much less to do with it than legs. If I make the last race, I think I'll just be leaving my Michaux gear on.

Cool shot of Kent over the second roller near dark. More pics from Ben here.