Thursday, November 13, 2014

Double SIerra Point Weekend, Double Podium


         This weekend was a double weekend at the Brisbane Marina on Sierra Point, races #2, and #3 for BASP. Saturday was a late start for racing with my race, Mens Bs racing at 4:00 pm and the Elite race not starting until 8:00 pm, on a  counterclockwise course, while Sunday was a normal schedule with the Elites  racing at 1:00 pm and Mens Bs finishing off the day at 2:10 pm on a clockwise course.
Photo By: Mark Seymour
First mud pit of the year
         The two day's course were very similar; with four pavement sprints, two sets of barriers with one set before short steepish climb, a set a steps heading up what they call the "table top area," tight bumpy turns, and a mud pit at the start of the lap on Saturday and the end of the lap on Sunday. Even though Sunday was basically Saturday's course in reverse there were some differences; on Saturday after coming off the "table top" there was a bridge before a few turns leading to the second set of barriers(first set on Sunday) near the Marin Bikes pit before a sand trap, the bridge was omitted on Sunday, the other major change was the location of the first set of barriers on Saturday (second set on Sunday), they would be put on the other side of the flat u-turn, so both days you would come out of the turn before heading to the barriers.
Photo By: Mark Seymour

         The race Saturday was a large fields, 73 racers, and for me started with a pleasant surprise, of after finishing 42nd at BASP #1, enough people ahead of me weren't here allowing me to snag the last call up on the right side of row three, about 20th in the large field.

Photo By: Mark Seymour
Staging for BASP #2 Mens B
          At the whistle the guy right ahead of had a good start so I would did not get bogged down, see the above video link, Brian started just to my right. I would hit the first turn right around 15th and take the far right line through the mud before making the turns to the pavement where I made a a few quick burst to get up to 5th behind Chris Neher going into the first little off camber uphill. Chris let me pass and chase down the leader as we made it to a flat fast long dirt turn. From there I would pick off most the remaining racers ahead of me to get into 2nd place entering the pavement at the end of the first lap.

Photo By: Mark Seymour
          Going on to the pavement after the mud I would pass the last guy for the lead, and start to build a gap, riding relatively by myself for the next few laps when I would start to make small mistakes; taking a different line through the mud, grabbing a dollar hand out going into to the bridge and not being able to remount on the top, these and a few other small mistakes allowed Richard Reffner to catch up and take the lead with two to go.
Photo By: Mark Seymour
Battling with Richard Reffner
         I would battle with Richard for the last two laps, and watch little Ben Gomez Villafane, who started on the 6th row, make a hard attack where the course past close to previous spots. Richard and I stayed close with him having a slight lead going barriers before the "table top" area. As we made it to the two steps I dismounted and pinched him into the tape as he tried to ride the steps. From there I would use all I had left, through the bridge, and last two barriers to the finish to take the win by 4 seconds, slowing just enough not to lap Scott Lappe.
Photo By: Mark Seymour

Photo By: Mark Seymour
BASP #2 Mens B podium
         After winning the day before, I would have the number one call up, little Ben the third, and Eric Stocker the forth. I would take the far left spot, which if I had a good start would of set me up nicely for the first right hand turn over the curb.

Photo By: Mark Seymour
Start of BASP #3
         I would go over the curb around 12th, but would go wide and pass 5 people up to around 7th on outside before falling in line going into the sand box. Ben Gomez-Villafane would already be out of the sand and hopping the barriers before I i got through the sand. For first lap I would ride in traffic; going up the relocated two steps someone would try and fail to ride them causing a bottle neck, later in the lap on one of the short but loose climbs two guys on mountain bikes would come together and both crash causing a second pile up.
Photo By: Mark Seymour
Riding behind Chris Neher on lap two

         These pile ups would cause me to enter the second lap around 5th. On this lap I was still in traffic, but no one crashed or had issues with any of the climbs and I slowly made my way up to second by mid lap. The rest of the race was spent riding at the front of a three person chase group, trying to remain smooth, and erase a 25 second gap Ben had formed. With three to go I would miss the frame as I tried to grab my bike while running a set of barriers. Causing me to hit the barrier with my back wheel shooting the bike into the air and making me come to a stop to get my bike under control.

Photo By: Mark Seymour
Leading the chase group of Myself, Miles Stepto, and Eric Stocker
         The three of us in the chase group would battle and switch spots over the last three lap. I would lead going into two to go, but Miles saw a few openings and would take the lead going into bell lap, with me on his wheel and Eric on my own. After we passed the first set of barriers I attacked hard going into the "table top" and would take over second place and hold it until the end of the three pavement straights. I would take too much speed exiting the pavement and go wide into the turn allowing Eric to pass on the inside. After he passed, I again took too much speed into a turn this time the right hander with woodchips and would have to unclip to stay on two wheel before the mud pit. I couldn't get my cleat to clip back in until just after the mud pit, allow as Eric build a just enough of a gap as turned over the curb on to the last pavement sprint to hold onto second place, leaving me in third, not what I wanted but a second podium for the weekend.
Photo By: Mark Seymour
BASP #3 Podium

          Next week I stay local and head up to the Cal Fire training ground on Empire Grade for Surf City CX  #2.









1 comment:

  1. I think bikers' life is so much fun and perfectly fit from health perspective. I've been thinking of enrolling myself in some biking club too.

    ReplyDelete

Contact Form

Name

Email *

Message *