SS ready
Friday night Todd and I loaded up the van with dogs and bikes and headed to Suprise, AZ just west of Phoenix for the
MBAA White Tanks race. We pulled into the venue late and and most racers were already sleeping, it was cool how many people camped Friday and Saturday night.
Men's SS Open Race Start. I'm on the left, blue and white helmet. (photo thanks to MTBR Bikedad)
Todd and I raced our first XC race of the year in the Men's SS Open class (there were two men's SS classes). Results are
here. We placed 6th and 7th of 18 (I was 8 seconds out of 5th). We will be racing these guys again next week in the
SSUSA race. Check out my cute little 205 gram
UVEX FP-1 helmet! I am in love with that helmet, I have a red one on the way, and a red Boss Race as well, too cool!
Saturday morning came way too early, they started setting up registration before sunup with floodlights, I always wonder why AZ folks do things so early, but with 100+ degree summer days they always get started at first light or before, even in the winter.
Registration was the quickest of any race I have ever been to, I didn't have to fill out any paper work. I walked up, told them my last name, was handed a pre-printed waiver form to sign, given a race packet, told to pick up my timing chip and that was it. They didn't give me a hard time for racing in the wrong class, but made sure I knew that I was signed up in the Men's "Open" class. Great folks, well organized. The races started on time with the Marathon racers going out 30-minutes ahead of the XC Men Pro/Cat1 waves.
a picture for no reason
With no call-up I stood on the front line, that may be one of the only times all year I get a front row start. Todd got the hole-shot and I found a nice spot a few wheels back. When the course pitched up Dejay launched an attack that splintered the group while we were catching geared riders, so at that point I had no idea what position I was in.
The course was fun, it felt like a big social ride. The guys were very nice, almost everyone called passes; basically we were talking and passing the entire race (there was a lot of yo-yo-ing with Cat1 geared riders). Todd and I went back and forth a few times and talked about the race, we have never raced at the same time and should probably wait till after the race to compare notes. The last time I passed him he was on the side of the trail holding a can of Big Air, something about burping his tire. I guess that was all I needed, we finished 6th and 7th and he was ~one minute behind me.
After our race we watched the Marathon racers finish up. My old Kenda teammate
Danielle Musto (MI) just got into town for a week of warm weather riding with her friend Juli Allaire from CO and decided to race, placing 1st and 3rd in the Women's Marathon race. Marathon Race Results
here.
Saturday evening Dejay led a night ride, there was a BBQ and a pretty big group hung out around a propane burner "campfire" till late then camped again. Sunday morning we made breakfast and watched the short track race, then Todd and I headed out to ride the Sun Valley Parkway on road bikes.
The inner loop on the
Topofusion map is the White Tanks MTB race course, the other is Sun Valley parkway, a divided four lane road with a shoulder as wide as a car lane and almost no traffic. This map shows the Phoenix sprawl on the right, Sun Valley Parkway was built for further expansion, but it stalled out. They did call this the road to nowhere, but since they recently connected it to I-10 (bottom left) it actually goes somewhere. It is a little bumpy as cracks have developed and been filled, but I was comfy on my carbon Cannondale road bike with Ergon grips.
We spent Saturday afternoon with my Aunt and Uncle at Happy Trails RV Park, which is where we parked and started the ride on Sunday. We rode out to I-10 and back.
White Tanks course profile.
