Time to recap first of 7 XC events for 2017. Other than the "little letdown" of seeing the scoring tent record me at 3rd place when in actual fact....I came in 4th.....pretty fair day on the bike!
Headed up to Barrie the night before to minimize the drive fatigue associated with trying to get there the morning of. Stayed in the NO FRILLS Super 8 with my support guy a.k.a Pops and kept it low key. Morning of, got to RJ's facility around 7:30 to ensure I had LOADS of time to just get ready for the event. Registered and walked the first portion of the track right up to the entrance of the single track. My strategy after watching pretty much ALL you tube clips from the 2016 event was to get a good start to ensure I got in the woods in front of as many of these cats as I could. Start was successful...hit first corner in third place and thought I held this position right until the end?!?!?! Apparently there was another rider who had not been enterred into the system who bumped all of us one place. Bit of a let down at the end thinking I was stepping on the platform but....let's recap and not harp on the unfixable.
Right of the getgo, I followed a guy in the WRONG line and got a faceful of Mud blocking my left vision on my goggle....luckily the heat and dust over time seemed to rectify it. The race was pretty uneventful....I told myself NO CRASHES and did take my sweet time in the tight and twisty and behaved on the moto track.
This TX......don't know what else to say but this is magical. Suspension was dialed. Power then when needed and man on man does it chug. I did stall it on one of the steepest decents but meh....push the button and go time again.
I was pretty happy to see the checkers and did have some moments where I believe it was unsafe for me to still be on the bike on the last 1/4 of final lap. Mentally losing focus and was getting sloppy but all in all a great start to the first of 7 events for this season. NExt one in Parry SOund. Oh...just a 4.5 hr drive to get there but...it will be worth it to battle it out with a few faces and names I now know who I need to ensure I keep in front of ;) Another COors light is beckoning......
UPDATE.....Bryan Kwalchuk is a strong and proven Podium finisher in the Vet B class and he happened to have his GoPro on(i forgot mine) and appears he was right on MY ASS for most of the first lap!!!!!!!! He captured some GREAT footage until he passed me at minute 22 of this footage. THis is where the scoring gets odd...I saw 3rd place EVERY time I crossed the start finish. Bryan apparently crashed on the final lap and I ended up 4th even though the board kept telling me 3rd right up until the end. Sounds like I'll need to get the POPS to keep tabs at the line next event. Regarless......This confirms the competition will be fierce and looking forward to EACH AND EVERY MOMENT!!!!!!
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