Subee Cup WORS von Cinco

Mt. Morris, WI
WORS #5, Subaru Cup Saturday June 26, 2010
by: David Thomas

With the PRO XCT rolling into town for it’s fourth installment, WORS#5 would host it’s first UCI Pro Race, meaning the big trade teams would be around to “class” up our lil old state series a bit. Meghan and I would also play host to some PRO guests as her Mafia Racing teammates Stephen and Kathy spent the weekend with us as well. A brief aside: Stephen and Kathy are totally awesome people and I’m very honored and pleased to call them my friends after this weekend.

Just as in years past we lodged at the Krahl Inn in scenic Wild Rose, WI and found the AC and kitchenette the room offered to really work out well. Since everyone was doing the STXC as well, we stayed two nights and it was nice to be inside both rainy PMs of the weekend.

Day one called for the XC at 9.30AM, a few hours earlier than I am used to along with some company us OPEN SSer’s weren’t used to. Because of the Stage Race format, the main event PRO races in the afternoon, and the USAC categories vs. WORS cat’s crappy overlay (USAC should go down to CAT 4, making WORS COMP-level riders CAT 2, not Sport level) we would start last wave with the comp and sport comprising the Cat 2 field. I guess one solution would be to get a Cat 1 upgrade and race that class, but I do have a ton of fun in the OPEN SS class(which does allow Cat 1’s); and one race out of the year picking through fields isn’t terrible.

So after all the bitching and concern, time to race hard and blow through the COMP and Sport fields, racing with Greg and Chad for the top podium spot. Or Not.

I was third wheel going into a fresh-cut trail and over-cooked it a bit, taking a sketchy outside line only to have the trail fall out from under me. I consider myself a very sound technical rider, perhaps even above average, so when I dab early in a race and have a train of riders pass me, I get down on myself. Today I wasn’t able to shake the shame spiral and watched the race ride away from me as I JRA’d.

METAL-Mates Joel, Ryan and Rick toed the line as well and did solid races.

I got thoroughly sun-burnt in the feed/tech zone supporting Meghan and Kathy in the PRO women race and Stephen in the PRO men. Once we got back to the hotel I crashed hard and slept for a good few hours before eating and going back to bed.

Day two started off with a breakfast at the Chatterbox right down the street from the hotel. I loaded up on potatoes, eggs and breakfast meat varieties. Upon arriving to the venue I switched the cog to make the drivetrain 34x18, compared to the 22t I rode the day before. The gear proved to be dialed on the STXC course, which was very similar to last years. The SSer’s were run with the Cat 2 30-34 and Clydes in the last Cat 2 wave. I was hoping to have a good race and did. I moved my way up the race, ultimately sprinting for the wave win, but got taken on the line and settled for third against geared guys. As for the SS I did manage to cross the line first, but in the end it was bittersweet because my buddy Rick got screwed out of a medal by some inaccurate score keeping.

So one bad race, one good race on the weekend.