USA NAtional Mountain Bike Championships Sol Vista Colorado

Photo credit ©Dave McElwaine

Sorry this is so late, but here it goes........... National Champs last weekend, as close to home as I think they have ever been! The course was a total Colorado course, lots of climbing, then a sick descent. A super steep road climb to start out, then it leveled off for a bit so you could take a breather before hitting the single track climb. Lots of switch backs, but pretty smooth, a nice climb that you can power up. After about 20 minutes of climbing you come out on a road for the last grunt to the top. Then into the sweet single track descent! The start is fairly flat with twisty turns; you hop over a log and then take a sharp right hand turn into "Wentz's way" triple black diamonds, steep, rutted, dusty switchbacks, with a super steep drop and a sharp left at the bottom. A bit sketchy, but awesome too. Then across a road into some more twisty fun single track. You then have a short steep rise to a bridge that goes over a road, and then under a tunnel into the woodchip climb, short but hard in the middle of the descent. At the top of the climb your back into a turney descent, with another log hop and out onto a road before hitting the last scary offcamber switchbacks to the finish. The Junior women did 3 laps.

The climb on my first lap was awesome; I was able to get on Alicia’s wheel before going into the single track, sitting comfortably in second. I held her wheel all the way up the climb, I was super excited, I hadn’t been able to do that all season. Then I passed her on the road right before the top, and opened a little gap. I was increasing my lead on the descent, I took a stupid little spill around one corner, but I didn’t loose much time. I was feeling awesome. Then over the second log jump, BAM, I slammed my rear wheel into the log and knew I pinched, I rode a bit further praying I hadn’t actually flatted, but of course I had. I started changing my flat, hoping I had gained enough time on the climb that I wouldn’t loose too many places. Alicia rode by, then Kayla, and Essence, Wesley, Lennia, Ellie and Ellen, and A few other girls I didn’t know. But I got the tire changed and was determined to gain some places back. Riding past the start finish I was freaking out, barring myself to catch the lead girls. But I was able to calm down a bit, and just get into a rhythm. I started picking people off, I went from about 9th place at the bottom of the climb to 4th going into the descent. I moved up into third right before the woodchip climb. coming through the start finish I could see the second place girl. people were telling me I was 2 minutes back from first. I wanted to win. I wanted to catch Alicia. I killed my self up the climb, and finally caught the second place girl, and was able to pass her down the steep drop, when she got off to walk. Into the turney single track and I got my first glimpse of Alicia! I was so close. Up the woodchip climb I tried to catch her, but I wasn’t quite able to. Into the last sketchy set of switchbacks, I was gaining on her fast, and on the second to last turn I finally made contact. I just couldn’t get the pass. A sprint to the finish, .48 seconds behind. I would have loved the win but it was an amazing race and I am happy with how I did. I was felling so good, and climbing so well. I surprised my self a little, I didn’t think I was going to be able to catch back up, it reminded me about how mental this sport is, you have to be mentally tough, and believe you can do it and always ask yourself if you can go faster, cause chances are you can.

Saturday I got to go up and watch the Pro Races! They were intense! I got some cool shots, here they are.