This Saturday was the "hometown" race at Pineland Farms in New Gloucester Maine. Hosted by the Maine Cycling Club, this is one of my favorite venues. 30+K of grass xc ski trails and open fields.
The course set was moderately technical, but very "heavy" with a good bit of elevation and long grass.
Sat was the first real "fall" day in Maine : frost on the grass and cars, the warm up would require some "Belgian knee warmers", along with thermal gloves and jacket.
The line up was first come first serve, so I lined up front row. The whistle is blown, and I drill it, get the whole shot...then miss a shift. My teammate Ryan leads into the grass, and I am second. Ryan is MONEY in the tech stuff and staying in front of me till the grass section across the damn. I then drill it, pass him and set off on my own...
After 3 laps, I am 10sec up on big AL and Wheels, thinking I would see 3 to go, I would keep pushing on...then I saw 4 to go. So I drifted back, let them catch me, then sat on. Al was setting a nice comfortable pace, then a stick in the spokes and he lost his momentum...so I attacked. Wheels came with, and we were off. I could hurt Wheels on the steep, and harder sections, then he would roll back to me on the tech sections. I had plans to drill it up the climb to the finish, but Wheels and I called a truce and decided to split the cash. So we cruised in, hand-in-hand. Of course he rolled across JUST in front of me, and got the credit for the win.
All in all a FUN race, on a gorgeous day. Post race, I got my cash, then spent it on lunch with the fam at the Pinelands cafe.
Below is a pic courtesy of Don McEwan:
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