SuperPrestige CX Alton Cyclocross

 Thanks to Mike Dawson for the great photo and of course, always the nice comments to go with it.  :)

The people Alton sure know how to put on a 'cross race.  Fun course on perhaps the finest weather day of 2012.

Twisty, fast, diverse...there are so many superlatives to describe the course.  There was this big wooden "jump" thing that proved to be too much for many racers and they removed it before our race.  I wanted to lead the race so badly for just a little bit...and I did.  For just a little bit.  I went into the first corner okey-dokey and in first, but the second corner, merely 30 yards away, provided my first crash of the day.  Totally no big deal, just clipping my pedal on an off-camber at 4mph.  That did cause me to go into the red zone, scrambling back into the race, holding onto 4th.  Then 3/4 of the way through the first lap came my second crash.  A guy completely endo'd in front of me and I monster trucked into him.  No pain, no broken parts, no problem.  Except being in last place and my chain was off.  Blah, blah, blah, lots of effort and suffering, and I got 6th place an hour later.

Still a complete success in my eyes, and a great start to the 'cross season.  My bike set up was good, my fitness was at least adequate, and the desire to do better next time.  It's all good.