The Start Grid....

     One of the biggest skills in cyclocross has nothing to do with actually riding your bike.  It has to do with getting to the start line before some other schmuck gets there.  In cyclocross you have to be loitering around the start line some 20 minutes before a race, if you don't have a call up.  Even if you think you have a call up you might want to get there before the sun comes up because the promoters might decide to change up their original plans at the last minute.

     It seems counterintuitive to do a really good warm up on a trainer, get a sweat going and then wait around for 20 minutes freezing your butt off or getting totally wet in the rain, but that is exactly what you have to do sometimes.  Last weekend at the Bay Area Superprestige at Candelstick Park was a prime example of start line madness.  Now I didn't see all the starts nor did I see the controversial B race start where a whole group of riders from one team just stepped in front of the entire field.  Bloggers, Yahoo groupies and people hiding behind their computers shamed them enough that I won't talk about it anymore.  I did get to see the madness of several of the other starts and it is amazing what a little testosterone can do to a simple jaunt in the park.  ROAR!

     The thing is....sometimes you get a good starting position and sometimes you don't.  I feel like I am a strong starter so it helps me when I am up front.  Then I just blow up like an atomic bomb and fade back.  Some people have bad starting position or a bad start, but then turn it on after 10 minutes or so.  And still others just start bad and end bad.  The most important thing is to go hard and race against yourself.  Pick off as many riders as you can without getting passed by the whole field and most of all, have fun.  Hearing all the news this week about the doping in cycling just leaves a bad taste in everyone's mouth.  The best thing about cross is that we don't have to worry about this type of stuff. (My fingers were crossed when I typed this).  So go out there, try to get a good starting position. If you don't just work on your skills and run over as many slower riders as you can.  But do it with a smile on your face.

     I leave tomorrow for the USGP in Ft. Collins.  I am doing 4 races there.  Crazy? Oh yes, but if I am going to travel all that way I might as well hit it hard.  In each race I will be at least 5 or more rows back.  Not my usual position, but I am going ride till my heart explodes or I throw up, whichever comes first, and I will do it with a smile on my face.

Here is Scotty Chapin. He started on row 6 of the Elite race and came in 3rd place. 

Granted he has skills but.....