Baycross

Ashland, WI
Baycross Saturday October 22, 2011
by: Kit Cischke

There are races I will do even as I start transitioning out of bike racing.  One is Baycross.  Part of it is because I really enjoying visiting Ashland, Wisconsin.  Part of it is because the most success I've ever had racing has been at Baycross.  I was third in 2009 and took 3rd and 1st in the two races in 2010.  Since I had every intention of racing with the "A" Men this year, I wasn't expecting anywhere near that level of success.  The question would become: do I still like Ashland?

I was hanging with the big group for part of the first lap and thanks to the inside information of a friend who rode in the "B" race, I opened up a little gap through the so-called "Pit of Despair".  After that lap, the front three rode away and three of us settled into a rotation of holding onto the next 3 slots.  I would get a gap through the technical sections, but as we headed onto a couple of gravel trails, they would pass me back and I would struggle to keep the other two in sight.  At about the 30 minute mark, I decided I really needed to drop them and bombed through the Pit at a speed that would usually be described as "reckless".  Coming out, there is a little zig-zag onto a gravel path that had been a little sketchy due to loose gravel pretty much everywhere.  I thought I had a decent, controllable speed going into the turn this time, but the bike slid out, I hit the deck hard and slid on my left elbow and hip.  I had enough of a gap that I was already up and trying to get back on the bike before my chasers caught me.

I've tried to figure out what went wrong.  I didn't think I went in too hot, but must have done so.  I can only imagine that my perceptions were off out of fatigue.  Frankly, I also blame the tires.  I was running them at about 28 PSI, but the darn Grifos have no cornering knobs to speak of.  I cannot wait to get rid of them, but they have proven to be durable, if not grippy.

I wasn't the same after that.  As soon as I clipped in I could tell I wasn't going to be chasing those guys anymore.  And frankly, I didn't know if I could finish.  I kept riding, just to see if my legs would keep turning over.  I tried chasing as the impact wore off, but they just kept riding away from me.

I gave one more push to try to catch them the next time through the Pit but apparently hadn't shaken the cobwebs from my head and got out of the right line.  I hit some ruts the wrong way and crashed again.  Fortunately, this time it was on my right side.  I nailed my shoulder and hit my helmet on the dirt.  Again I jumped on, but was really starting to doubt my ability to finish.  As I came through the Start/Finish area, the official told us there was some insane amount of laps left.  My fuzzy, mid-race math told me this race was going to go way  over an hour.

Two more people caught me and started to pass me.  My competitive spirit came back and I found something left in my legs.  I was racing again.  The same basic story was happening with this group too.  I rode the technical stuff better, they rode the flat straights faster.  As the laps counted down, I thought I had a chance of passing them and just had to find the right spot.

First one, then the other fell behind me.  I sprinted like crazy through the last 200 meters and held them off to claim 6th place.  One hour and sixteen minutes after the word "go", we were getting off our bikes.  I was incredibly grateful to be done and was never so proud of a mid-pack finish. After practically dropping my bike, I started a systems diagnostic.  The Twin Six METAL skinsuit I had worn exactly once before had a seriously torn sleeve:

My left arm had some serious road rash from my elbow pretty much all the way to my wrist.  I had torn my left glove and put some pretty considerable scrapes into my pinky finger.  I had some milder road rash on my left hip and a bruise on my right shoulder.  My right thumb was so sore I could hardly push the buttons on the key fob to unlock the car.  My only consolation was that I had nearly chosen to skip the skinsuit, since it was feeling a little warm.  I can't imagine was the cheese grater gravel would have done to my arm without heavy thermal fabric in the way. I have never crashed that hard before and really hope to never do it again.

Day 2: Bayview

The kids enjoyed their morning at the water park we were staying at and then we headed to Bayview Park for Day 2. I decided to try a lap in my street clothes to see how my hand and arm would handle the ride.  Turns out ibuprofen treats me well.  I kitted up and planned to race.

They had changed somewhat less of this course.  The main difference was that we headed out on a pier and then whipped a u-turn back to the shore before hitting the beach.  The run-up was then a little shorter.  Some of the guys on mountain bikes were able to ride the whole thing.  The weather was awesome, and I was riding in short-sleeves.

I hung with the big group for almost two laps this time.  A few guys went out a little too hard during the first couple of laps and I picked them off.  By the middle of the race (which only lasted an hour this time), I was riding in my final position of 6/10.  The first 6 riders were basically the same as we were on Saturday; there were just a couple fewer riders.

I did spend a lot of time watching 5th place, pulling him back a few seconds at a time, but could easily see I wouldn't have enough laps to take back all of those seconds.  At one point, I did also drop my chain in the same kind of way I did at the first day of the Keweenaw Cup.  Apparently, I need to adjust my chain catcher.

Occasionally I wonder if I should be racing "A". Then I look at the results from last weekend: only getting lapped by the leader 300 meters from the finish and lapping the last-place rider myself means I belong in that class.  

So here it is, a week later.  I still have a bandage on my arm healing up the road rash.  I didn't do any meaningful training this week.  Instead of racing the last regular UPCROSS race, I did a couple of fun mountain bike rides.  It was much needed off-time to prep for the U.P. State Championships and a couple more late-season 'cross races Downstate around Thanksgiving.

Oh, by the way.  If you ever wondered how much that little piece of plastic on the top of your shifters costs, it's $14.  I got to replace one on my front shifter.  Yay.