So I arrived at the NVDC, well rested and ready to go.  After a quick ride up to the run up, I realized that the course was going to be super muddy.  What a bummer.  I came back and it looked I had just finished an entire race, covered in mud.  I headed over to the start line and had Peter and Doug right behind me.  We sort of screwed up and somehow wound up way in the back of our start which was sport men groups including everyone from 14-39.  The guy said go and with the first pedal stroke, the guy in front of me snapped his chain.  Most people made it around, but I sorta got stuck.  So there I was, way in the back for the start of the race. 

 

I slowly picked people off in the first mile or so.  I made it by Peter, and could see maybe 30-40 people ahead of me.  Yikes.  I kept on it pretty hard, up the run up and tried to get in behind a wheel and draft my way towards the single track.  Man, there were a lot of inexperienced, fast roadies out there.  Lots of slipping and sliding and almost taking me out.  On the first woopty doo, this guy blows it and hangs up right in front of me.  I got around him, and the next woopty doo, another guy blows it, but I manage to get around him and off we go.  Time to start reeling them in.

 

We hit the single track and I got stuck behind these two guys for at least 15 minutes.  They were having a hard time getting around people and wouldn't pull over for me.  It was the first time I really got mad at someone in a race.  But I kept my cool and just encouraged them to close the gap and keep up the pace.  I got by them before the end of the single track, but but one of them ended up passing me later on the the fire roads.

 

When I hit the downhill sections, I was pretty close to all alone.  I had one roady get in before me on some single track, but he soon realized he was holding me up and let me by.  Man, I was flying down those hills.  I took a little dive in to the mud once, but right back on the bike and at it again.  I wish I was going a little slower at one point.  These guys had driven some seriously hard core 4x4 trucks in and parked them at the bottom of some of the sketchy downhills.  Probably to cart downed riders out.  But from the split second glimpse I got, they looked pretty bad ass.

 

So I started the death march and saw Paule from Roaring Mouse walking his bike.  I yelled at him and told "you're suppose to ride it".  Then when I passed him, he wasn't even on his SS.  Sheesh.  I kept with it, riding maybe 75% of it.  About half way up I saw a TWW jersey and noticed it was Jeff.  I sneaked up behind him and as I passed him, said hello.  He didn't look to happy that the rookie was passing him.  I kept with it, slowly catching and dropping guys until it got to the point where the last 2 miles or so were a little less steep.  With nobody in sight, I really pushed it.  A single speeder ended up catching me, and we worked together on the flats a little, but I was too burnt out.  But off in the distance when I hit the airport, I saw another guy.  So off I go again.  I ended up passing him right as we hit the track.  When I looked back I noticed he was an expert rider.  We pushed each other a little, but in the end, we just cruised across the line.  I ended up 5th.  But if they hadn't consolidated age groups, I would have been 2nd in 30-34.  Oh, and would've been 11th of 16 in expert 30-39.  Not too shabby.

 

All in all, I had a blast.  The weather turned out to be great for the entire race.  And the only muddy parts were near the start and the last little single track before you pop out by the track. 

 

Matt

5/35 Sport Men 30-39

1:53:51

 

Man, I'm sore!  So I've been riding pretty sporadically lately, and never know what to expect until I actually start turning the pedals over.  But, overall, I've been feeling better than expected, and set what I felt was a lofty goal of breaking the 1:50 mark this year.  The NVDC always is a special race for me, since it was my first ever back in 2005 where I finished with a time of 2:13:38.  In 2006 I cut that time down to 1:59:29, and even further in 2007 where I came in at 1:53:51.  So it only seemed right that I attempt to best my previous result.  (Missed last years race.) 

I arrived around 8:00, registered and started making sure I had remembered to pack everything.  After getting ready, I made my rounds and said hello to all the usual suspects.  As I was double checking everything, I chatted with two nice young ladies who where unloading matching Ventana single speeds, and had matching Ventana kits, talking about Saturdays road race.  Later in the day, I spent the majority of the climb with them, and they both turned out to be good company and motored away from me once the trail flattened out enough for them to keep their cadence up.

I lined up with Rafael and a few other friends, much further back than anticipated.  In years past, I remembered more starts.  Not this year, we were the 6th start and way in back.  DOH!  We took off, and almost immediately, one of the juniors on the AC team (who dominated at Boggs) decided he saw a nice hole in the pack, and shot sideways across the road, nearly taking about 3 of us out.  We warned him in the future he needs to be more aware of his surroundings, and he could have caused a pretty good pile up.  But, no harsh words, just "be more careful next time".  Anyway, back to racing, sort of.  We hit the first little single track, and wind up waiting in line just like at the Sea Otter.

After some fire road catching up, I caught and passed Hillstrom.  Then through the wooptydoos, I could see another TWW jersey.  Once in the single track, I was trailing Rafael while we were in the Sport conga line.  Eventually, we made our way around people who kept bobbling, but Rafael got the worst of it and continued to be forced off the bike and seemed to be directly behind the rider who bobbled.  After what seemed like his 2nd or third hang up, I was able to stay on my bike and keep riding and made it by him.  I continued to make my way through the pack, and once we hit the decent, I tried to get around people as safely as possible.  Then, staring me right in the face, I looked up and realized it was time to climb.  My hopes of using my theoretical 2x9 gearing quickly went out the window, and I was in my granny gear in no time.  However, other than two hang ups with people bobbling in front of me, I was able to ride the entire climb out, constantly trading places with the Ventana single speed girls. 

Once it flattened out, I was still feeling good, and began reeling people in one by one, continually checking number plates for the number 11, indicating Sport Men 19-34.  I think during the last half hour, the only person I passed in my category was someone with a serious chain suck issue on the side of the trail.  I let a few people get by me near the airport who were not in my category , but I was still moving at a good pace in my big ring.  I tried to catch 2 of them, but no such luck.  Then, about 100 yards before you pop out on to the grass field, my front wheel slides out and I prepare to go down.  Luckily, my WTB Weirwolf said screw you, bit right in and sent me through the turn and kept me going.  With a big smile, all I could think of was that its been a long time since I've crashed, and I'm due for one, but not today.  I raced my butt off around the track, half a lap behind the same two guys, but always racing the clock. 

I had started my watch while waiting at the start line, and when I crossed the finish line, it said about 1hr 55min.  I knew that put me close to my goal, but wasn't exaclty sure.  Turns out, I came in at 1:49:28, just barely reaching my goal and placing 6th out of maybe 30 or so people.  I am really excited with my result, and even feel I deserved some of the crap I got about not racing expert.  Although, five minutes behind the leader, in my opinion, doesn't classify me as a sandbagger.  Taking a quick look at the expert results, I would have placed 24th out of 28, maybe more if there was another update with the results.  All in all, a great day of racing.  I just wish I could have stayed to enjoy the weather and have a few frosty beverages.  Oh well, thats life I guess.

Matt Leonard
6/27 or more 1:49:28