Perhaps I'm just as much at fault, and perhaps it wasn't my fault at all. Either way, the battle that had been ensuing since nearly the start of the race was cut short about a half mile from the finish line. I was leading the battle as we rolled onto the top of a short but very painful climb and immediately noticed two women just turning to enter the single track no more than 15 yards away from me. Surely they heard a few of us coming behind them, and in my mind I saw them pulling over and ceding the right of way to the faster riders as one is supposed to do (unless it's a fight for position). Personally I usually even give the overtaking rider a little encouragement. However, these two did not pull over and I found myself right on the tail of the trailing girl. Then it happened, on a slight down hill we began rolling over some small branches that were built up, leaving a drop no more than a foot high to roll over. They slowed down far too much and the second girl was grabbing too much brake and began rotating over the bars. Being so close behind her, I too grabbed a lot of brake just as my front wheel dropped over the logs. She saved herself from going over the bars but I found myself pretty much falling into her as I straddled the stem of my bike and the rear wheel swung down from its high place in the air to get caught in some braches or something. As I struggled to pull my bike free of the entanglement Joe slipped by. I had no legs to make up the few seconds he was able to grab from me. As I rolled into the finish line another rider, whom I will refer to as Black Beard sprinted by me at the base of the 15 yard uphill pitch to the finish line.
I'd thought that Black Beard got by me during the tangle, apparently not. He had passed me at the start of the 3rd , and final lap after catching up from somewhere behind. Then about halfway through this last lap I'd caught back up. Now the battle with Joe just got easier, as many friends will note about me, when I have a rabbit to chase I get punchy and seem to find extra speed. Black Beard dropped a chain at the base of climb that I caught the girls on. Good luck for me, so I had thought.
I'd started the race quite well, Joe and I bumped handle bars on the whistle but I soon found myself sitting in second as we entered the first section of single track. I held the wheel of first place with relative ease until the trail opened up and it was time to crank. My legs had not completely returned from some hard rides earlier in the week. I found myself getting dropped and losing a few spots. Joe slipped by, but I caught him and put between 15 and 30 seconds on him. Whenever the course doubled back on itself I could keep a check on him. Then in the 3rd lap as I was fading he caught up, passed me. I passed him back a few yards later and held the lead for a bit. Then he tried to pass again but I stomped on the pedals and made sure I entered the next section of single track first. Then in various places I began to give it all I had. Joe began to yo-yo off me. At some points I thought I'd successfully dropped him, only to see him claw his way back onto my wheel. I was spending everything I could muster from my legs. As I hovered over my seat on a downhill I almost collapsed onto the top tube of the bike as I felt my legs nearly give out over the bumps. I needed to drop him on course because I knew he would out sprint me. Then the crash happened.
Joe's a great competitor though. Talking about the fantastic race we'd had at the finish he said he even tried to wave a few guys by hoping I'd be able to catch onto him making the finish a little more righteous. Unfortunately I couldn't quite catch up, and I don't blame him for not slowing down. Next time I'll be shouting out verbal warnings when I catch riders going so much slower; especially if I'm in a heated battle for position.
Pictures and more coming soon, stay tuned.
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