Riot On Racing: O'Cup #2 Kelso

Hot....

Blaze-ing Hot...

And dusty....not quite this dusty...

but close...

The End.

OK, it wasn't quite that bad. But it was a hot, dusty day, for this the Kelso O'Cup (O'Cup #2). Not complaining after the shite winter we had...just saying.

Anyways, there seemed to be a large field of racers attending...Kelso hasn't been in the O'Cup series for some time. It is a popular place to ride, so I guess this was a popular race. I got my nutrition ready first thing (4am....yeah I get up too early every dang day).

My race category (Master Sport age 50-54) started at 10am, so I got out to Kelso around 8:30 to prep and warm up. Rock & Road Cycle Race team graciously invited me to use their pit.

Actually they had a huge group of racers representing. (And they had beer)....

So, after warming up I get ready in the paddock, have a bite of energy bloks...

Chat with my good friend and arch-nemesis 'serious', who has become way too fast this year (he won our category in the last O'Cup race). Also in the paddock is Garry. Garry is a loyal customer of BicycleWorks...he is mostly a tri-athlete, but has also taken on MTB racing this year...very fit, and fast on the bike. I beat him last O'Cup, but not by much.

The race had us start up a grassy slope, then left through the feed zone... So eventually SeanOfSuperfly called our category up to the start....and with his cue we were off!!!

Up the grassy slope and through the feedzone and along the grassy 'singletrack' on the side of the hill, and a very rough left curve off the hill onto the gravelly fireroad. Dust...very dusty. My goal was to keep serious in sight. He was up front...so I made several passes along the gravel road to get within the front group of 5 or 6 riders. Then left and right over a grassy hump...then it was into Tube Hill (F'n Hill, Death Hill, Lose-a-lung Hill... Kelso is a ski resort in the winter, and the hill we were climbing is the hill the tube riders ride down in ski season....hence the name Tube Hill). Tube Hill is a looong, steep climb that serpentines (that means twists, y'know, like a snake) its way up the hill....and it was so dry that if you were not careful and gave too much power you would spin out and stall...and the hill grew steeper towards the end; so as you crested the top of Tube Hill, you were redlining....but no respite here. Immediately upon cresting Tube Hill, the course put you into a steep, twisty doubletrack climb...just about time to puke here.

What the hills do a good job of here, is stringing the racers out, and they did. As I have mentioned before, I prefer the endurance races over these short, fast races...as such, my recovery time at the top of these climbs is not quite as fast as others who like the short-fast thing. I got passed by a couple of riders and some of those already in front of me pulled away.

However, the doubletrack we were on soon led into a very rough rocky climb where I was able to power into and make up some time, and pass back the racers who passed me. Then a section of flowy doubletrack led into a section of technical twisty singletrack called 'Rough Trade'. This is a very fun challenging trail...the problem is I am not fast on twisty singletrack, so this fun bit cost me some more time. Then Rough Trade opened into some gravelly double track, a long gravelly climb where I was able to make up some more time....I could still see serious less than 100ms or so in front of me....hoping I could keep him in sight and still catch him.

Here is serious....somewhere ahead of me on the course...

Then a section of flowy double and singletrack came into a wide open rock section along the top of the escarpment....and here was Ted of ApexRacePhotography snapping away pics of racers zipping by. Had to say 'Hi Ted' as I passed.

Then the course took us down the descent...a fast rough rocky descent, across a bridge that appears to cross nothing but dirt....then down Digger Downhill....a twisty singletrack down hill with some berms and drops that give you a chance to catch some air...

Here is Kyle catching some air on Digger....

Then off the descent onto some twisty grass sections, then up the grassy slope into the start/finish and through the feedzone...

me...up the grassy slope....

There was Blaze working my feeds (remember he broke his wrist last race, and is done for the season)....thanks Blaze!! Could be best feedman ever...if he gave me beer...

This is Bevin racing for the Lapdogs Race Team coming into the feedzone....

JennR just past the feedzone...

JennR again kicked everyones arse in her cat....

MarkR (known more as JennR's husband) on the gravel fireroad off the start...

machine4321 doesn't want me to comment on his crash, so I won't...but here is a pic...

He was OK....it could have been much worse....

Anyways...onto lap 2 (my race was 3 laps)...there was JeffS cheering me on by the gravel fireroad....thanks Jeff!! I still had serious in my vision...but he was quite a ways up on me now...then up Tube-Death-HackALung Hill, and the twisty hill following.

Passed a couple of racers cramping and with mechanicals. I thought I had lost serious with my slower recovery...but he had flatted and had to DNF (Did Not Finish). He was one of the mechanicals I had passed. Tough break!!

However, as I recovered at the top of the climb, Garry passed me....damn lean, fast-recovery, tri guys!! So, as I thought I lost serious, I focused on keeping on Garry's wheel....lost him a bit on the twisty Rough Trade. Said 'Hi Ted' again in the same spot...then down the descent, Garry still in front of me slightly...but Lap 2 was in the books.

Through the feedzone, and onto the gravel fireroad...JeffS cheering me on again!!
This is me on the fireroad....Fig said I had to post this pic, cuz it was his favourite pic of me...I don't know why...

Anyways....we hit Tube-Stupid Hill for Lap 3....I passed Garry powering up the hill. At the top he passed me back....damn!! So as on Lap 2 I fought to stay on him...however on an open section before the final descent he made it past two dying riders who I got stuck behind. On the grassy section between the descent and the finish I passed them and a faster rider who was riding out a rear flat...tough break!! Then I kicked to catch Garry before the finish...but not quite to be. He beat me by 3/10s of a second!!

I finished 7th....not so bad. A target to better next time.

Singlespeed and younger age (30s and 40s) categories raced at 11:30 including Fig, and this guy...

misconceptionz

and CptSydor

Who borrowed my singlespeed to race this race...a very tough go....this was not at all a singlespeed friendly course...well done CptSydor!! The 11:30 course was very similar to ours, but included a nasty rooty, rocky (for many it was unrideable) climb called Ugly Up.

The Expert and Elite categories raced at 1:30. This included Kyle,

and John....

mtbmeister suffering

JeffS suffering

Seth

Giant, looking all concentraty up Tube Hill

Oggie...who always looks grim....

The 1:30 course included more technical sections, and a couple of very gnarly rock sections that caused several crashes, and broken bikes.... I'm happy to be in the Sport category....for now!

Anyways....Kyle finished first in his category....by a wide margin....sandbagger.

JennR finished first in her cat....well done!! Careful JennR...you're gonna get famous!!

Again....JeffS on the podium...again. Getting to be a habit...pretty soon his whole family will be up there....oh....wait...half of them already regularly are...