Welcome to Team Bikeman: For nearly two decades Team Bikeman.com has been a mainstay in bike racing. Beginners all the way up to pros proudly compete in the red, white and black of Team Bikeman.com. Our resume is extensive with state, regional, national and master's worlds champions in our ranks. We are truly a national grassroots racing team with membership from coast to coast. We compete in mountain, road, cyclocross, time trial, triathlon and pretty much anything else you can do on two wheels. We don't discriminate, if you do it on a bicycle and someone is timing it, we will race it. If you feel you would be a good fit for Team Bikeman.com contact our Team Manager.
Team Bikeman Sections: Race Report Archives | Team Rider Profiles |
|
|
2008 Canton Cup |
|
|
|
Written by Steve Morse
|
|
Tuesday, 21 October 2008 |
2008 Canton Cup Cyclocross
Canton, MA
10/19/08
 | | Photo courtesy Luke Mandle |
The Canton Cup is becoming sort of a local New England classic on the cyclocross circuit. The turnout is getting bigger every year (for example, this year there were 146 starters in the cat. 4 race – that is CRAZY!). Anyway, today I decided to take a little break and not race with the elite masters, and so I entered the ¾ with BIKEMAN compatriot Chuck. I figured it might be fun to perhaps get a decent finishing position for a change, which might help my recent mental racing health.
Anyway, Chuck and I reg’d, kitted up and did a little course preride. This included 2 successful times bunnyhopping the small barriers. I went back with Chuck to see if he could ride them too. He endo’d over the first one, and that was that. I tried it one more time to “show him how it’s done” and I promptly face planted as well. We were in agreement that the barriers would have to be dismounted during the race.
After that we went back to the car, and jumped on the trainers to get all hot. The pre-race ritual was not without some of it’s own drama, as Chuck lost a ring somewhere in the kitting-up process, and some panic ensued trying to find it. Two guys in skinsuits on their stomach’s, looking under cars, must have been sadly amusing to watch from the perspective of a passer-by.
Race time approached so we abandoned the search and headed to the line to try and pimp a front row spot. We turned up and about 70 other guys had the same idea, but we did manage to muscle our way towards the front.
A nervous start but I found my way in the top 15 or so going into the first turn. Realizing I was near the front, the switch in my head turned on, and I started hammering promptly, down the wooded path into the first field. As I made my way around the first meadow sections, I could see the race already strung all the way back around the fields. I was right around top-10 by the time we hit the first barriers. By the way, today it is was DRY and FAST. We were absolutely flying on this course, and a few times I even thought I was going too fast, taking corners way too hot, but I managed to hold it together OK without any ground-kissing incidents.
Being a pretty power-centric course (read: flat, grassy, and windy), I seemed to have a better time than most guys, and I would happily tow the group I was in through the windy parts, like the track section, and still not be blown up, and able to attack right after it.
Overall, the rest of course I pretty much held my spot in the top 10, but got into a little altercation on the last lap with 2 guys and some sketchy passing maneuvers which left me stuffed into a wooden fence, so I lost 2 spots there. I still finished strong with 11th place. Not too bad, but I know I can still do better. Let’s see what the next few local races holds in store before the Verge series resumes in November.
By the way, we didn’t find Chuck’s ring after the race, and even went back the next day to the race venue with my dad’s metal detector, but no dice.
Steve
 |
|
|
|
; "Photo courtesy Luke Mandle")
Show/Hide comment form
