Heading down to TN for the USA cycling DSG. Long drive, big field, Open Women full of Pros, costly trip. Why am I going here? Fun road trip with a good racer friend and a chance to check out a private trail system and get a long 12 hour solo day in. Decide it's worth it.
Parousing the event set up, I coincidently run into a race counterpart that I forgot lived in the area. She fills me in on the course and a few things, no matter, with the girls here I am just doing whatever to get a good ride in!
So, we start in some misty rain, just enough so the short prologue is slick. Peeps are wiping out and we are not even to the trail! Priceless! Once in the woods, it starts pouring buckets. Within minutes I am followed by bad karma and a rear flat in the pouring rain and mud. AGH. I get out of the mud area to some grass, get it changed in the storm, jack it so full of CO2 air since I am still mad at myself over the flub flat fix at Greenbriar two weeks ago. I am also a little excited, this is the most challenging flat situation I have had in a while and it went fine, I love when the weather gives me a test for what it might be like in Costa Rica this fall(!) So back on, I am now behind the pack and the trail is getting bad. Very bad. A combination of things make the course not hold up to rain and traffic. It falls apart, bikes pack with mud...BAD. I push, scrape mud, I carry, scrape mud, I push, roll a few feet, carry, scrape mud, it's fruitless. I decide it's a DNF, I have been out here for 5 hours to get a lap in!!! The front pack gets through one lap ok, they hit the crap on their second lap and have just as much trouble, but the tough ones stick it out mostly carrying mud packed bikes on their backs. I DNF and hit the tent for some relaxing! My carpool bud gets in two laps, her second also being a 5 hour lap and she is also done. Craziness, I have not seen anything like this in my travels!
Other than not holding up to weather, the course is nice, the event set up is nice, and if your up for a race, some of the best competition gathers here!!
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