Rough race, after being Sick

 

Photo By: Joe Suzuki
Year long battle with Lee Slone continued in San Francisco  

     This week's race was BASP #5, a race weekend where all the category had their own races, ex. Elite men on Saturday, and the Mens B raced Sunday. Saturday was wet and muddy while Sunday was about as perfect of riding conditions as possible

 Most of the 1st Lap from Mens B 45+ from Kjeld Christensen (Saturday)

         The course was the almost same as BASP #1, Clark Natwick GP, just ran the other way. The two big changes were the lack of the bridge, and the setup of the barriers. In September the barriers were setup with a set before and after a u-turn, while this week all four were in a line. Also instead of being dry, dusty, and loose as is was in September, the course was moist, super tacky, and a bit
slower.

Photo By: Mark Seymour
Start of the Mens B race

         Although I received the number one call up for the race, base on winning BASP#3, the Sierra Point night race and had choice of starting spot I struggled with start. During the week between Surf City #2 and BASP#5 I had been sick, coughing a lot with a sore throat, and hadn't yet recovered enough so I took some medicine before race, the wrong medicine. Going for the whole shot I was having a hard time breathing, the medicine had dried out my throat. I came off the "dirt road" into the trail first, but would take it very easy trying to catch my breath. About half way (maybe three quarters) through the first lap while leading we went down the hill before turning left back up it, I had my chain come to the inside. I tried a few times to shift and get it back on, but could not get it and alas had to dismount and fix it by hand before struggling up the short steep hill, after getting passed by around 20 racers.

Photo By: Joe Suzuki
Working through the field

          For the middle part of the race laps 2-4 I was working back up through the field, catching people and waiting for good spots to pass, and trying to get as much water as possible to try and keep my throat moist so I could breath. I slowly caught and past people I recognized and have battled against at past races.

Photo By: Mark Seymour
Catching 4th and 3rd

         Going into the 5th lap I would catch 6th and 5th and pass them on the road before the right hand turn onto the single track. Coming out of the first section of single track onto the gravel road i caught 4th place, with 3rd insight ahead of us we worked together to bridge the gap. For the rest of the lap I would ride in the pack of 3rd, 4th and 5th judging speeds and trying to save energy for the bell lap, the next time around. After finishing the lap in the group I knew being sick and not able to sprint well that if I was in the back of the pack as we went through the barriers I would not be able to stay with them as the groups speed would increase until the end.

Photo By: Mark Seymour

           During the bell lap, I was starting to tire quick and lost the wheel of 4th a few time in the first part of the lap. As we got closer to the barriers I tried make a few moves passing 4th in a few corners, and both of them in one, but alas I could not make a short sprint coming out of any of the corners and found my self a bikes length back entering the barriers. At this point my focus was to maintain my podium spot by staying smooth and on two wheels as could see Lee Slone and Dave Mongan coming up fast. I would end up in 5th, 22 seconds back of 4th, and just 1 second ahead of Lee

Photo By: Mark Seymour