JJ Nitro

Hello, All.
 

The first big weekend of the calender saw TGM come in near full force to the Kensington road race, which had about every catagory extended in distance.  Anyone that's raced here knows that the pavement can be questionable and that the repeated series of hills due to the short "laps" can make this one a grind, even more so this addition.  We also had our team picnic, which was pretty well attended...right up until the little rain squall.  Ah, but on to racing.

The P/1/2 team had Ben, Bob, Pete, and Tom.  We represented well with Tom moving off with a group right away.  Within the first lap they had a good gap on the remaining riders.  Soon, Pete was in a group that chased.  After a few moved off the first group, Pete's group caught what was left of Tom's, with Bob and Ben in groups behind.  The final results show Tom getting a solid 7th, Pete coming through at 12th, Bob at 23rd, and Ben rounding out this ~103 mile race with a 35th placing. Looks good for the TdL men's team of Matt, Terry, Pete, Tom, and Ben.

Sorry about the late report.  This last weekend I forgot my camera (again) and so I had to steal a few pics from the promoter.
 

It was a beautiful day, in the low 50's at race time, which is perfect for off road racing.  The trail was pretty dialed as well.  For those that haven't ridden Bloomer, it's a technical course, with lots of tight single track and short, steep climbs.  It also has the imfamous "Switchbacks", a section of trail that separates the lesser riders from those that are really skilled.  We had Tim and Karey competing for TGM, with Susan flying the Giant banner under her Dark Horse Racing team.
 

I knew Tim was riding well and the racer to beat from my years competing against him in the woods as well as how strong he was during the week when we pre-rode.  He's a very techincally skilled rider by any account and I was pretty sure no one would be able to hang with him in his class in the tight stuff.  Plus, being a bit of a haus, he can haul on the flatter sections and still put it down up the short hills.
  

Sure enough, Tim put in a good performance and took a strong step towards his seasonal goal of winning the USAC MTB State Series with a 2nd place.  In the podium shot you'll note two things.  One, that we need to teach the guy to zip up to support his sponsors, and that Don Cameron's race in Tim's class spoiled a sure victory.

On the women's front, Karey, Susan, and Erin Diesterdorf, a rider who's competed for years from the west side of the state, rode away from the rest of the field on the first lap, including a Titus/Kenda/Hayes rider, Wendy Cadwell.  Eventually Karey took a stick in the deraileur, had to stop, and Erin attacked.  Susan answered and eventually moved away from the smaller rider to take the win.  You'll note in the picture how a skilled rider handles the "Switchbacks".  That ability doesn't translate to Susan knowing helmet placement, you'll notice. Karey was battling a little illness and soildered on to take a well deserved third place, keeping her State title hopes alive.
 

I really enjoyed my race as well, being highly motivated due to having a good Elite class and a course that suits me some.  I did get a chance to talk to the Titus rider while I was warming up. She commented on my Titus bike and asked how I liked it.  I said it wasn't bad, but I'll be on an Anthem next season. :-)

Thanks for reading.