Cottle Cross Weekend

This is a couple of weeks ago at the Weber Fairgrounds race. I was going great until the last lap and I crashed into one of the log barriers. It wasn't very pretty but I finished OK.

Tanner was going to take some pictures of the State Championship races this week, but my camera had a dead battery. I took a few with Daren's camera so go to his link and you can see a few pictures. The State Championships were at the Heber Fairgrounds this year. It isn't my favorite course but it was set up very good and favors power over technical. I got a good start and three of us got away from the rest of the field. I knew the one would attack, and in the past I have been fearful of going with him, but this week when he attacked from behind me I went with him and we gapped our third. It was a fast course and I was hanging in ok and had decided to hang on til the last lap and then attack, but he had a mechinal and I just attacked as hard as I could. When I came to the finish line there were four laps left and I thought, can I do this. I just rode hard and tried not to make any stupid mistake. I was able to stay clear and really buried myself on the last lap, I didn't want to be caught. It was great to win and I was going to raise my arms, but I was afraid I would crash. After an on sight interview it was time to cheer for Daren, as a Cottle sweep of the first two races would be nice. Daren was off the front and raced hard. He slid out on one soft turn and got gapped. This CX racing is hard to close gaps as you are red lined most of the time. Daren thought he got back to the leader and so did I as I watched only to find out that the leaders brother who looks like him and rides the same bike as him was in a different catagory, was who he had caught and passed. Daren ended up second and rode a great race. The announcers got our names mixed up all day but it was cool. Tanner then rode in the very fast A group and took 12th. If he had raced his age group he would have won also. Later that night when I called Brady to tell him about the races he also won his first cross race of the year in Oregon (read below for details). It was a great weekend and the GC Connection did great. Two more races til nationals so the excitment and pressure are building. I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving and looking forward to being with many of you. Ride Safe. Doug