Madison Cross Weekend. Free Beer. Podiums.

The weekend began after work on Friday. I had just picked up my bike from Zack the night before, and had time only to position the levers, wrap the bars, and take it for a spin around the block, which was enough to determine that it's way different than the Crosscheck. Armed with allen wrenches, I headed to Badger Prairie Park for one last recon visit and shakedown ride. The course was still grassy, bumpy, and grueling, and I still dreaded it more than most others. It took me a few laps to get used to the different braking, shifting, traction, handling... just about everything was different. As I got a bit more accustomed to the bike, my laps got faster and more confident, but it still struck me as a bit of a gamble to race on it the next day. Excitement to show it off trumped my sense of caution, however. I got the saddle position a little more fine-tuned as darkness fell.

Saturday. Drove to Cam-Rock with Nils (and his boombox) and Andy. The course was dry and super fast, with some mulch-filled turns and the occasional rock or root to avoid. Squeezed in next to Casey on the line for crucial starting position. The start went flawlessly, a moderate sprint up the hill to the first corner. Got ahead of the pack and backed it off a bit to follow Maciej and Casey into the turn. We quickly had a big gap on the rest of the field, and started taking turns at the front. A chaser appeared behind us and was making up ground. After the first lap I came through for a turn, which in retrospect maybe wasn't in my best interests, but I wanted to help keep the gap open and didn't want to be the guy sitting on. Right after my turn I needed to recover but the Baraboo Sharks rider caught us and kept right on going. The other two jumped on his wheel and I didn't have the gas to make it, so faded back.

photo: Djonn

I enjoyed no-man's-land for a while but was still recovering so I more or less waited for the two chasers behind me to catch up, a Moosejaw and a Brown Bear. I sat third wheel and saved my bullets for the end, sizing up the other two. I also rocked out to "Holy Diver" playing on the boombox on the run-up. Moosejaw was looking strong, so I figured he'd be my competition in the sprint, but I've been sprinting pretty well and cracking out hill repeats like nothing lately so figured I had a good shot. He slowed on the last lap, a little cat-and-mouse, perhaps, until the last few corners where he put in a dig. Brown Bear mis-shifted or dropped his chain and I made a pass on him that may have hindered him further. I got on Moosejaw's wheel and let him lead out the sprint up the hill, coming around him to just barely take 4th. A sweet day, the first podium for the ZR Cycles, decent points, in the money, free pint glass, and it turns out that my pull at the front won me the beer prime so I won a free sixer to boot. From what I can tell, most of these faces will be on the podium a lot this year.

photo: Colin

Cale won his race, and the rest of the crew either did well or was plagued by mechanicals. That night I went to the party at Nine's house, got really loaded, and barely found my way back home. Some would consider this a poor attempt at recovery for tomorrow's race, but those people don't have nearly as much fun as I do.


Sunday. The rain and chill in the air eliminated any thoughts of riding to the race, so I loaded up the car and after helping Nine put the leftover keg in his car, Erik and I drove to Verona. Showing up and seeing the cat 4s sliding and crashing all over the muddy corners didn't do much to build enthusiasm, but we registered and took a warm-up spin. Having done well on fast, dry courses so far I was somewhat expecting a reversal of fortune for me in the slop. There were also a handful of fast mountain bikers in attendance that I suspected might have an advantage.

photo: Djonn

Another front-row start, but I fumbled at getting clipped in so made it into the all-important first turn in around 10th or 12th place. Somewhat discouraged, I was able to quickly get around the slower traffic and moved up to around 3rd place behind Erik. He was setting a stiff pace, and I was already fairly happy with where I was, so I followed him for a bit. Neil Swanson was riding hard on our heels on his mountain bike and I could see Maciej not far behind, so I was eager to grow the gap. Pinning it on the road sections a few times gained us some ground on the chasers, and I think I popped Erik off at some point. At that point it was TT mode, I wasn't sure that I could catch Casey but I wanted to fend off any chasers and stay smooth and upright. The course was amazingly fun, enough muddy sections that had to be taken slowly to recover, and enough smooth sections to get on the gas. Casey was holding about 20-25s on me, but I could see a rider catching me from behind. I didn't recognize him at the time, but it was the Moosejaw rider that I outsprinted the day before. He passed me and I tried staying close. Ahead we could see Casey's gap shrinking quickly, I'd later learn that he had started crashing and dropping his chain, and had entirely lost his rhythm. The crowd was starting to go nutty as the remaining laps dwindled. Moosejaw passed Casey, and a little while later I was almost upon him when he slid out in a slippery corner. I squeezed between him and the course ribbon and kept going. He got back on my wheel before the final turns, but my line through the last grass-to-pavement transition was faster, and I heard Frank in the feed zone yelling "Sprint!" I should have been more focused mentally because I didn't know it was the last lap. In any case, he might have saved me and I put in just enough acceleration to keep Casey from catching me and rolled in 2nd.

photos: Djonn

Then we capped off an epic weekend by watched Jesse kill it in the P/1/2/3 race. Time for rest and refocus. This weekend bumped me up in the overall standings, so my sights have been raised a bit for this season. I want to stand on that top step. Thanks to pals for cheering and handups this weekend. Next weekend is the infamous Whitewater Trash Dash on Saturday, Gibbs Lake on Sunday. Bring it.