A Solid Debut -- While I did miss my Dos Niner's one inch of suspension in the rear on Landahl's rocks, my new El Mariachi was hardly disappointing. The low BB and compliant frame kept me as fresh as any hardtail possibly could on the rocky Landahl course, and after getting used to the handling of the frame and 100mm fork combination at race speed on the first lap, I was railin' it on each successive lap. In fact, several racers commented on how smooth I was flowin' my lines. I could feel it too.I did however have my first pinch flat in two years on the first lap. Well, it never fully went flat. The sealant was able to seal the casing back up, allowing me to pump it back up and resume riding, albeit now in about 10th place. It was a little disheartening to get a good start, be running ahead of eventual race-winner Cam Kirkpatrick, and have a pinch flat take me back to 10th place, just like that. I'm not saying I'd have beaten Cam, don't get me wrong. I was not prepared enough prior to the race to deserve to win the race. That much is fact and I know it. I was running late and completely forgot to put bottles on my bike for the first lap of the race, put it that way... Ummm, yeah. So in all honesty, 4th overall and 3rd in class in the solo 6hour is just about as good as can be expected for yesterday, because to a certain extent, I did it despite myself.
It's at this point that I want to give a big shout out to Dwayne Goscinski -- the guy that finished just ahead of me. I worked super hard with two laps left to catch and pass Dwayne, and I thought I'd made it stick. But then Dwayne came back. And as we entered the last lap, Dwayne was with me -- right with me. And then he went around me and was gone. And that was it. He was gone. He put in a super human last lap while I just hung on to bring the ship into the finish. Some of you just might remember Dwayne as the guy who also finished second, ahead of me, at the 24 Hours of Landahl, last fall. The dude's fast, and a heck of a guy too. He bought me a polish dog after the race even! Thanks Dwayne!!
I couldn't believe how great the trails were at Landahl. There were a few small muddy sections, but overall, it was moist, traction-filled and fun! What a way to start the mountain bike season. Thanks to the entire Heartland Racing crew -- you guys know how to put on awesome races!
Rearview Mirror -- On my way outta' town. This is what the mirror's for, riiiight???
14 comments:
Nice job!
Thanks Jason!!
MG
Killer effort, man! It was great to meet you! And you'll definitely be seein' us out there...
-C. ryback
Great ride MG. Way to rock it at your first race o the year. (It was the first, no?)
I'll bet you'll be collecting more hardware before '08 bows out. ;>)
Way to go MG. Nice write up. I love my EM too, but that Dos sure is comfy on the longer rides. Thanks for flying the colors.
you rock man, that turned out to be a very fun race.
congrats buddy
Congrats. Good to hear the El Mar treated you well...and vice versa.
Thanks guys. Gnat, thanks for the support. I feel really fortunate to be a part of the Salsa team again in 2008. I appreciate your investment in the "little guys" like me, because collectively, I think we do make a difference in building a great brand.
dwayne, you were awesome on the last lap... super fast. i was no match for that.
lookin' forward to racin' with you again soon.
cheers,
mg
Nice Work.
Hey bro, I know how good of a rider you are and I know what you're capable of. I've seen it many times over the years. Had you not flatted, who knows what would have happened. Landahl is your kind of course, when you passed me in the rock garden, you went by so quickly it made me feel pretty pathetic!
Nice job, see ya this weekend!
Cam
Hey Cam -- My money's on you this weekend brother. You were haulin' out there last weekend! It was the smartest racer -- and the fastest over the entire six hours of the race -- that stood on the top step of the podium. That racer was you, my friend. Once again, you showed us who the class of the field is -- and it isn't one of the "young guns." Experience pays, and last Saturday, it paid pretty darn well.
Congratulations Cam. Rip it up this weekend too. You'll have to do it without me -- I'm headed out to Fruita, Colorado with MW, Shawn Hansen, Showen and Bonsall, and we're meeting a big cast of characters, many of whom are native Nebraskans that have since relocated to the rocky mountains... It's gonna' be off the hook.
So no racing, but lots of fun for me this weekend. I'll be thinkin' about y'all.
Thanks for the note Cam. I really appreciate it, my friend. You're an awesome rider, and we're super fortunate to have such a positive role model for young riders and racers coming up in the sport in you. Your dedication is a model for those who want to not just compete, but excel in the discipline of cross country mountain bike racing. Thank you for everything you do for the sport.
Best of luck Saturday.
Cheers,
MG
are you racing Saturday? Anyone else from Lincoln?
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