-Marc Wiken
And I appreciate the fact that you're trying to get me pumped up for it, but dude, I don't think it'll ever happen. We just don't get along. Maybe because Afton exposed my non-climbing skills. Or that it always feels either up or down and the technical stuff is absent (apart from one or two short sections).
My day started out just as I was feeling. Slow. I hovered near the back knowing that if I were to be up front with Marc, I'd just get in the way. The course changed up the first part of the lap nicely, running us down the dirt road for a bit before hitting the single track. There were some small additions as well along the course - new switchbacks - that seemed to get lots of people riled up due to having to slow down. There was one section - Cliff's Edge - that was pretty cool. Very rocky and had a sharp corner. I managed to pass someone through there. A couple other sections that were twisty and bumpy I also put a gap on the riders behind me. However, that didn't last long as I had to go uphill. I just had no legs. Or mental confidence. However, I did get to see Wiken haul ass up near the front for part of the first lap. He was making some good passes and getting near the front. The manhandler couldn't handle Wiken as he picked off riders using his middle ring. Sadly, Afton got the better of him and he DNFd after two flats.
After awhile, I saw Dan coming behind me up Shady Lane and I was relieved that it was taking him so long to catch me. Was I riding better than I felt? Or was I delirious and Dan had already passed me and what I saw wasn't real? Dan never caught me, but in post race discussions it turned out that we both had poor races that day. Afton got the better of us.
This was almost the most fun I had on course:
Photo courtesy of www.skinnyski.com
In other races, Jess, Scott and Dave completed their Sport races! This is Jess' first year in Sport, so an extra lap at Afton is no easy task. Dave decided that he better get some extra sleep and woke up just in time to speed to the race and line up literally within minutes of the start. He's no Dan, but getting close....
Scott finished his first Afton race for BCR! We first met at Afton way back when. We should have had some sort of anniversary dinner....
We were missing Tyson, but for obvious reasons.
Tim, or other newcomer to the team managed to rock the house on his SS in Comp. He tagged me sometime on the 3rd lap as he went by and managed a nice 4th in age group finish. Again.
Next up: Dirt Spanker in Duluth. It appears we'll be heading up for that one. Hopefully I can find my climbing legs as I enjoy the course. I have placed there before....
As much as it pains me to bring it up....with Wiken's DNF at Afton, we are now tied in the BCR Smackdown.
Should be interesting from here on out, as I don't know that we'll be at many more of the same races...
