OK this was the race that I really wanted to win for obvious reasons. The September 12 race is to be the king of the hill in mtb in California. I was going to race the Cat 1 19-24 or something like that, I started the year as Cat 2 I won the southern Ca and kenda cup Cat 2 championships. So we get there midday Saturday to do some prerunning, I finally got my 2010 lefty suspension.
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| On the box |
It was hot in the 80s, first lap easy to learn the course, second lap faster to check lines and settings and the last half lap to cool down. The course is short but tough, the first steep hill had only one line the right side on the left was loose dirt. After that it was like most course downhill and back up. So if hard climbing is not your thing you were done by time you came back up.
A nice downhill section a fire road and some pavement, you could pass anywhere, the way back was pavement and fire road, but the last hill to the finish was killer, steep and switchbacks. I did an easy 23 minute lap on Saturday, so I felt ok and rested, we left to have dinner and rest.
Sunday morning had a good breakfast at a local restaurant in San Dimas, by the antique district. My race was late at 1:48pm so I had a light lunch and a lot of H2o overdrive drink, because it was going to be hot and 5 laps is a long time.
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| California and Kenda for 2010 |
I think my wave was the 5th to take off, I tried to see who was in my group I seen at least three of them before, so when we got our start I took off behind the guys I knew, one was really strong we dropped everyone on the first climb, funny thing was that I felt like I still had a reserve so I sat on his wheel, for the whole first lap, as I go by the start finish line my dad yells you are flying, my first lap was like 16:30 we were passing pros and all the other Categories in front. About half way into the second lap I felt that the other guy was pulling away, and I just started to lose time. I cant explain it but I went into survival mode, as I went by all I said was something is wrong. The next 3 laps were a little better. As I finished I wasn't sure of my place, the 30 minutes were a long time. Eventually I got second by less than 2 minutes. So I came little short but all in all I had a great year, great things are going to come in 2011.
So by Monday I feeling a little sick, so I guess I had a head cold or something so on Tuesday I get a call from some friends telling me that they bought road bikes and that they wanted to go riding so I did about ten miles into the ride I crashed and broke my collarbone I needed surgery, somehow the front tire came partially off the rim and the wheel got stuck as it came around, I was going downhill on a curve so I hit the ground pretty hard.
So I been forced to take at least two weeks completely off the bike, will start to do some trainer work in a week or so.
I would like to thanks H2o overdrive, epic cameras and cannondale for the help in 2010 and we will have a much better 2011.
cya
Ed Ellin
http://www.eellinracing.com/
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