USGP Jersey 3

Getting everything to come together on race day seems to be a problem for me lately. I find myself being able to start pretty well, even when I toe the line with the pros. By no means am I taking the hole shot but I'm finding myself still able to move up within the field for the first half of a lap. This is where putting it all together comes into play and I seem to fall apart for the next 2 laps. Obviously cross is all about running red line and being anaerobic for the majority of the race. My problem seems to be able to continue or closely maintain my position in the race from the end of the first lap for the next 2 or so laps. If I could solve this problem I truly believe I would go from one of the last scored finisher in USGP races to a good 10-15 places higher. Day 1 of racing in Jersey was a lot like last year with inches of peanut butter mud across the entire course. Running for 40% of a lap is no exaggeration, especially after a pile up in the first corner of the race leaving the leaders long gone and the guys in the back doomed to start running. A pre-ride of the course should have been taken but I opted not to for some dumb reason.

If you know anything about cross making the right choice with tires and tire pressure is beyond crucial, it literally can make or break your race. I asked a couple people that took a pre-ride lap or two what they thought and made my decision based upon their information... bad idea. Of the 3 different sets of tires I had to choose from I probably picked the worst one possible. Slipping and sliding my way through an entire lap was the deciding factor in my race and left me OTB quickly. I would like to thank my sponsors for the ability to have 2 identical bikes for situations just like this. I grabbed my B bike from the pits and with no exaggeration was going a couple miles per hour faster just about everywhere on the course! Sections of the course that were unridable the first lap were now ridable with the simple change of a bike with different tires on it. I powered my way around the course for the next couple laps trying to make contact with people only to find them pulling out. The time I lost on the first lap is hard to estimate but I wouldn't be surprised if it was almost a half lap. Trebon was on a mission and that was to relieve me of my duties bringing up the rear with 3 laps to go. Oh well... clean up the bikes and get ready to do it all over again the next day.

Day 2 of racing brought a different course and different style of racing. The course was more technical and dried out to allow for a little faster of riding and lap times. I wasn't going to make the same mistake twice so I got a little bit of time on the course and was able to make the right tire choice. The start seemed slower than normal or I just had good legs because I was able to make my way from the 7th row all the way into the top 30 through the first couple corners. Its a shame to be able to have such a good start only to watch it slip through your grasp. As I elaborated on before I can start really well but some how fall apart for the next 2 laps until I'm able to get it going again. Going from the top 30 to the back of the field is a pretty big mental blow but I am not one to quite and did my best to keep it going. Like clock work I started feeling better a lap or 2 later and was able to start picking guys off one by one. If it wasn't for Johnson setting a blistering pace around the course I might have been able to catch and pass a couple more guys. I don't know what my problem is with fading after good starts only to kick it in a couple laps later but I'm determined to figure it out before the end of the season.