Cycling race 1:08:00 [5] 21.0 mi (18.5 mph)
Supburbocross IIX.
What a night.
The air was cold and the night was dark, I was going into SBOC, one of my favorite races of the year, without much recent rest, and no lights! Not very well prepared for the race.
But I had my CX bike, and I'm fit this spring.
Within the first few miles Robbie and I separated from the field (we would ride the rest of the night off of the front). Next, in the Purgatory singletrack, he went down, unable to stop to get around a bend in the trail around a big tree. He hit the tree and fell left. I had a split second to decide to try to brake, or jump off my bike to avoid him. I hit the brakes. I did not stop. I ran straight into Robbie, a rider I had not ever met before tonight, and hit him hard. For a very brief moment, I wondered if I had severely injured him, as I put my front wheel into his spine.
He responded back to my frantic questioning "Are you ok buddy!?" He got up slowly. He said his shoulder hurt from hitting the tree. I asked if he could ride. Before he really had a chance to answer, we were back on our bikes looking back to see Biz and Dittmer and Mike Phiffer and others coming for us. The adrenaline kicked in and we were off. Thank goodness, as I needed him draft, and his lights!
The rest of the night riders were near us, especially Biz. Charging hard on a mountain bike. But on the hard packed stuff (roads or gravel) we would pull away. I could keep a close eye on them as I could turn around without giving away our position.
In the end, it came down to sprint. I have never lost a sprint. This night was no different. I felt good, hit the gas, and had a bike length on Robbie within a few seconds, and it was over.
Robbie is the "better" rider of the two of us, able to climb better and spin out watts into the wind. Hats of to him for a brilliant ride that tore the race apart from the get go.
Awesome night. I was so pumped I didn't sleep until 3AM.
EDIT: Found out from Robbie that his doc guessed that his shoulder did dislocated when he hit that tree, but it pooped back into place immediately. SBOC brings out the best in people. A great fight by Robbie.