Taxidermy Cross, Fetucini cross, Tacchino cross

A Sunday in November, and it’s actually fairly warm. In the 20s, sunny, blue skies, just a perfect day for Taxidermy cross, or was it Fettucini cross… no it was Taccini cross. The race was put on by a local, self named Italian-wanabee club called Squadra Coppi, but they are American, not Italian, hence the quasi Italian name to Sunday cool cross race. The drive up to the race had me driving on the beltway around Washington DC, it had been a few years since I’s driven on the Beltway, and it was actually quite exciting. The endless lanes of slow traffic and people hogging all lanes, was just like being in a movie. The true America, just like you see it on all those TV shows and movies about the FBI in DC.

The race course itself was a little flat. A raw power course, perfect for American crit riders. There was only 1 dismount which was a set of barriers, no run-up, and only one vague semblance of a hill which was easily rideable. Still the course was fun, the organizers had done the best with they could with the venue and there was quite a lot of twists and turns. For some reason, even on what could/should have been a dull venue, the course was once again good fun. The American’s just seem to be able to do really fun courses. There were some nice sections though the woods which reminded me of the good old MTBing days, when I had some of the best times of my life racing MTBs in the US.

The start was a little hectic with the guy in front of me struggling to get his foot in the pedal. I tried to pass him on the outside (the only place possible) and I think I scared the crap out of a photographer who ejected himself from the side of the course and threw himself into the grass. Sorry about that mate.

Frankly that was about the end of it. The start was just too fast for me, I can’t do fast starts and having been off the bike for a while the lack of fitness really showed. I ended up settling into place on the course, one guy passed me, I passed 3 or 4 later on in the race and that was about it. Joe Dombrowski won the race (as a Espoir rider!) commandingly. Levi from the Warrenton bike shop also came out to cheer me on. I think he got a bit bored after a couple laps of seeing me so far down the field.

Well, my cross season/plans are obviously out the window. The hope of carrying any end of season fitness from the road over to CX, though a good idea at the time, is clearly not working out. The fitness window has gone and I’m about as far from the sharp end of the race as is physically possible. I don’t think I have time to get any CX type fitness back before the end of the CX season over here, and although there are still a couple CX race in France in early 2010 when I get home, I don’t think it’s worth putting in the effort for just a couple races. So the plan for now is to simply keep getting my ass kicked and having fun in CX and start looking ahead onve again to the 2010 season.

I’m hoping the warm weather here will last as long as poss’. It’s was really nice out there on Sunday and this area is beautiful in the sunshine. And of course I hate the cold with a vengeance and can’t stand winter! Wednesday is Veteran’s day here in the US (well, c’est le 11 novembre en France aussi) and so we are running a ride out of Warrenton for some of the Whole Wheel Velo guys. So I’ll finally get to catch up with Scotty G once again. That should be a fun ride, be nice to see old friend and meet new people, (just so long as they ride steady and don’t attack each other all the time). Apart from that I’m also going Gaga hunting at the airport today, and have a morning “coffee ride” planned with Greg and Levi. Easy ride, followed by endless coffees…. Hmmmm, sounds a bit Australian, I love it!