This one stings.
Extremely hilly track with lots of technical turns. Given the fact that I only ride the Grants trail I wasn't expecting to feel like I had much for the hills, but was wrong. I knew I had my work cut out for me with Sweeney and Jon Bell there, a few faces I didn't know, and TK behind me. We started without much warning and I jumped out quickly, but it didn't feel fast. Looking back once or twice up the paved climb I already had a gap and was second guessing how hard I was pushing but decided to keep the pace and see what happened. By the top of the hill on the backside Sweeney had caught up but I pressed on. Everything was clicking and by the top of the paved climb I had another gap, which continued to grow. At one point I say TK and his competition pushing closer but by the top of the paved climb on the next lap I had started the descent into the bowl and there wasn't anyone on the paved climb yet, so I assumed my gap was close to a minute. Just before crossing the line with 2 laps to go my mind began to wander and it crossed my mind that this would be the first race I had won since 2010 and felt a jolt of enthusiasm followed immediately by regret for thinking that before doing it. With 1.5 to go on one of the acorn turns before the descent back to pit I turned hard and the brakes jammed on as my rear tire had almost completely separated from the rim. That was that.
I removed both tires, sanded the clear coat of the rim and have re-glued, with solid results. I've got a new frame coming from the UK in about 2 weeks and hoping to put the cursed Fuji behind me!
On to No. 3
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