Chocolate Fish Coffee Roasters Cycling Team p/b Ikon Cycles: Norcal vs Socal CX State Championships

CFCR Racing headed down south to B-town on Saturday. We made it in time to watch the Elite race for the season finale of Socal cross as they were finishing up a 22 race season! They were running the course very similar to last years state championships but I had a feeling the course would be reversed as soon as the Elite race ended. The racers were having to climb the same monster run-up that I suffered through last year, so I knew the pain this course could dish out.

Lightspeed Leg Buster Run-up from Saturday

As soon as the Elite race was over, course workers began frantically ripping up stakes and tearing course tape in preperation for Sunday's course. Chris, Mark, Tony, and myself got our bikes and got out on course. One word aptly depicts this course, "Ouch!" The course was using a new run-up to the right of the Lightspeed Leg Buster Run-up that was even steeper at the top!

The run-up for sunday.

Even at a cruising pace I could tell how tough this race was going to be. There seemed to be more climbing running the course in this direction. The lines that were cut for Saturday's course were totally unusable for Sunday's direction and I was glad that there would be several races before mine to cut out a new line for some of the tricky corners. In particular, there was one off-camber downhill grass section that did not seem to have a fast route. Up high was a tree root, down low was a patch of slippery leaves. I wound up going in the middle and seemed to find a good line, but still killed your momentum coming out of the turn which was an uphill.

I took one too many warm-up laps on Sunday, which zapped my legs for the start. I slotted in around 10th place coming into the first turn and had my work in store for me. I passed a few riders on the climbs but had a battle with Sheila Moon rider Lee Slone. After about three laps, I was able to break him off my wheel. I was now about 15 seconds off from 5th place with only 2 laps to go. I tried to reel Paul Hernandez (The TEAM SoCalCross) in but couldn't match his accelerations. I came across the line solo in 6th place.

Mens B Results:

The rest of the CFCR racing team toed-up to the line in the Master Mens B 35+ race. Fortunately they were able to avoid the crash at the first turn that took out two riders as they hooked bars and crashed into the barricades.

Chris Learned- Photo Copyright Tim Westmore

Chris had some front tire issues that had him sliding out on turns, but a quick trip through the pits had him rolling again. Chris and Tony finished right after each other, and Mark rolled through the finish line shortly after.