The first ever night cyclocross race in Michigan was a pretty big hit yesterday. I think the masters class alone had 30-something people in it, with even more in the B's. The C-field was ballooned as well. I think the A's had somewhere around 20-30 racers.
Wayne rocked his Tricross SS in the master's class.
This was my first trip for a 'cross race at Cannonsburg. I pre-rode the course between the C's and the B/Master's race to try and learn as much of it as possible. It was a short course and most of it was disguised with bumps or sand-filled holes which sucked the power out. At least at speed these weren't quite so bad, but with the 9:00 start time also came the challenge of racing under the lights.
Mike rolled his front tire in the first 200 m, but he chased all the way from last to third.
Racing under the lights on a bumpy course is like riding a mountain bike on a trail that is covered with water - you never really know what you're riding on. One of the faster corners also had a bit of condensation on the grass, making 2-wheel slides a fun reality.
My new Tricross felt rock solid; I ended up 6th.
The race started pretty well with a lead group of three taking off from the gun. I was in the first chase group but at the end of the first lap put in a dig and ended up in no man's land. Eventually Bill Gallagher and Andy Weir caught up but Andy had some chain issues so he was on and off the pace the whole night. Bill rode his mtb through the sand with more confidence than I and ended up getting a gap that I couldn't close. In lap 9 of 11 Andy caught back up and was able to hold a gap on me, which made me miss out on a top 5 by one spot.
It was a fun night with the Cannonsburg staff grilling and serving up Founders on tap. Kristie made the trip out and took all of the pics here, which was a difficult task between the low light and haze in the air. Next up is Waterford!
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