I kicked off my 2015 race season this weekend at the Total Body Fitness MTB Challenge in Granite Bay, and it was a great way to jump back into the race scene before the first NICA NorCal League race of the season next weekend at Fort Ord near Monterey, California.
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| Start line. |
Today's race was challenging for everyone who participated especially for Expert and Pro riders who raced 32 miles. I had a good start and was able to establish a spot in the lead group, that I maintained for most of the race. I felt very strong until lap three when I started to bonk, despite this set back I was still able to keep up a solid pace.
By the final lap some racers started putting down the hammer in order to try and secure the top spot, and I tried hard not to get dropped by the top three riders.
Unfortunately with only about 3 miles to the finish line I suffered a hard crash that slammed me head first into the ground twisting my stem/handlebars and seat post to an unrideable state, as well as breaking off my Garmin GPS which I did not notice until I finished. After readjusting my cockpit I tried to hammer back into the finish and was able to finish 5th place in the competitive High School Expert category.
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| Finish Line! |
Despite the crash I am very happy with my result and had a lot of fun racing out there today. Looking forward to next weekend's NorCal League race where I compete at the varsity level!
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| Getting checked up on at the EMT tent. |
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| Saturday's pre-ride. |
Photos courtesy of Mike Meeske and TBF Facebook page.
