After the weekend in France, we loaded up the cars and headed for Sittard where we spent four days leading up to our next transfer to Hoogerheide. These last few days were definitely an exercise in patience in the lead up to the big day. The game of hurry up and wait can drive oneself to near insanity. Only two more days to go now.

As we pulled up to the venue, my excitement levels peaked and my adrenaline began to flow. As we unloaded the bikes, I naturally became my giddy, grinning ear-to-ear self. As I said hello to friends from around the world, my grin got bigger and bigger.

Today was the first official pre-ride session. The course was open for two hours in the afternoon. There weren’t a ton of people out today as the guys racing on Sunday aren’t too keen to spend too much time on the course just yet. It was mostly just the juniors and the women – the two groups racing on Saturday. It was nice having a clear, open course as I familiarized myself with its ebbs and flows.

When I saw Marianne Vos, the woman who dominates the world on any bike, arrive at the venue, I think that’s when it hit me. This is real. This is it. It’s nearly race day. The one we’ve been waiting for all season.

I definitely had a giant smile plastered to my face during my brief warm-up on the road. From there, I hit the course where I did a few laps with the exclusive goal of getting a feel for all the various elements. I wasn’t overly concerned with the lines I would choose. Given the forecast (rain!), I know the course will change quite a bit between my pre-ride today and my race on Saturday. I’ll start to pay attention to lines tomorrow and really focus on them during warm-up on Saturday.

Today the course was dry – by Dutch standards, anyway. There were a handful of thick muddy sections. None of them were too long (40 metres at most) or too technical. I suspect the mud factor to increase by the time it’s my turn to race.

There’s a forested section of the course that is pretty sandy.  Even with rain, this section shouldn’t get too muddy, but a couple sections could get rutted. If it’s not rutted for the elite women’s race on Saturday, it will definitely be rutted by the time the men race the following day as rider after rider digs out the sand.

The course itself is similar to what I’ve seen from past World Cups hosted here. A lot of the same features used in past races are included in the World Championships course, although the approaches to these features vary.

My favorite features are the two flyovers that sit side-by-side but flow in opposing directions. You ride over the first one, make a short loop around and then hit the second in the opposite direction. The first flyover has a difficult approach. A muddy section with thick, deep ruts sits ahead of it. If you don’t get a good line and maintain good speed, you might end up running up the flyover. I can imagine this will happen to quite a few people on lap one.

The start section of the course is far longer than most. We probably spend a good 300 meters on pavement. The hole shot is a sharp left hand turn with a drop into a grassy field. This section may get super muddy, and if that’s the case, I predict total chaos on race day. People will be off their bikes and running straightway. Today, it wasn’t muddy and it was a completely benign section.

Overall, I rate the course as fun and exciting. It’s no doubt a World Championships quality course. Like every other European course I’ve encountered, it’s also hard, heavy and includes a bit of everything. I hope everyone can tune in to watch because it will undeniably be a good show.

My goal is a top ten. That’s always the objective at this point. It’s my standard response when it comes to European racing. There have been times in the past when this would have been a stretch or a hope. This year, I honestly expect it of myself. I know it’s possible. I also know that I need to change the way my first lap looks in order to achieve it.

It’s an exciting group of American women representing the red, white and blue on Saturday. Katie Compton will line-up as one of two favorites. Marianne is obviously the other major contender. Katie has shown that she can beat Marianne this year, and I am, along with countless others, rooting for Katie to finally pull on that coveted rainbow jersey.

Katie’s not the only American rider to watch on Saturday. The American squad has great depth. Between Katie, Kaitie, Elle Anderson, Crystal Anthony, Arley Kemmerer and myself, it’s possible to see us with two or three riders (or more!) in the top ten. I think we’re capable of a huge showing.

I’ve been fielding a lot of questions about how to watch Worlds from the States. Here’s the most comprehensive answer I’ve found (and includes information for viewers worldwide): How to Watch the World Championships Live. Check it out, tune in and cheer us on. We may be separated by an ocean on Saturday, but we’ll still hear you! Every shout goes a long, long way!

(photo credit: Dan Seaton)

We woke up this morning to rain soaked roads but a dry sky. The course yesterday was already muddy in spots so we figured the overnight rain would change the course quite a bit. We were right – the early morning reports from the Nommay World Cup course indicated that things had gotten super muddy and a lot more slippery.

As we had been warned, the course was quite different than it had been less than 24 hours earlier. Yesterday the muddy sections were separated by dry, freshly cut grassy sections. Today, the grassy sections had been all but eliminated. Instead the grass had been churned up and mixed in with the mud. Ripping a derailleur off was

The mud had changed, too. It was very slick. It was still thick in some spots, but even the thick mud was slippery. By the end of our race, the course had firmed up slightly allowing some of the greasy sections to become a bit more tacky. I thought it was a heavy course yesterday; it was even heavier today.

After my two lap pre-ride, as I was heading back to the van, I ripped my derailleur off my bike. The timing wasn’t ideal. It was right before the U23 race was set to start, so both of my trade team mechanics were headed to the pits. I was very lucky that Scott, one of the mechanics for the Canadian National Team, was nearby as I was washing my bike. He stepped up and offered to work on my bike because he knew my mechanics were unavailable.

Scott and I found a new derailleur and all that other parts I needed. He had gotten all the old stuff off and nearly finished getting the new stuff on when Hunter returned to the van following the U23 race. It was a hugely helpful and kind gesture.

Anyway, that incident pretty much sums up the course and conditions – it was a rip your derailleur off kind of day. We knew to expect lots of bike changes because of that.

As you likely know by now, starts are not my strength. Katie Compton (Trek) shares this unfortunate weakness, but the similarities end off the start line. Whereas I’m often in a position of slowly but surely picking off riders from somewhere around 20^th-15^th position, Katie is making a beeline for the front of the race during the first lap or two.

I lined up behind Katie today, and she joked with me about our slow starts. She turned around and said: “I’m just going to apologize to you now. You know my start history, so you know what you might get stuck behind in a few minutes.” I squashed her apology and did my best to pump her up, letting her know that I had a feeling today was going to be different. We would both have good starts today.

Maybe it was the banter or the positive thinking – whatever it was, we both fared well when the light turned green. Katie was quick off the line, and I was fast to follow. She told me after the race that her quick start left her thinking: “Meredith better thank me for this.”

Despite her strong start, Katie’s race quickly fell apart. She had an asthma attack and, unable to breath, was forced to withdraw. Although she missed out on a result in Nommay, she won the World Cup series overall – for the second year straight.

As for me, my good start did not translate into a strong first lap. I hit the stairs firmly within the top ten contenders, but I came off the stairs further back. It was a total swarm in that section, and I immediately found myself getting overtaken after the hole shot. I’m still not exactly sure what happened My best guess is that I just wasn’t being aggressive enough.

(photo credit: Dan Seaton)

I was somewhere around 20^th place when we hit the first run up. From there, it was the story of my season – I had to slowly start to make my way around the riders in front of me. With the amount of practice I have had at play catch-up, I’m quite good at it by now. I just wish I didn’t have to do it so often!

By lap two I was catching riders regularly. For awhile, there was a large group in front of me. They split before I could catch them, and I overtook them one by one.

I crossed the line in 14^th place for the start of the last lap, and I still had a lot of fight left in me. I came up to Alice Arzuffi (Selle Italia Guerciotti) and rode with her for a few minutes. She took a couple of turns until I came around her once last time, turned on the gas and created a slight separation.  Christine Majerus (Boels Dolmans) ripped her derailleur off and had to take a bike change, so I was able to pass her on the last lap, too. By the time the finish line was in sight, I had managed to claw my way back up to 12^th place.

It was a hard, heavy, on the gas all day long kind of race. There were very few sections that offered any respite or recovery. When we weren’t pedaling, we were running. Most of the time, we’d run right over the top of one section and immediately get back on the bike to push the pedals to head straight back down.

I’m not a quitter. I rarely rule myself out in my head. I can count on my one hand the number of races I’ve withdrawn (for reasons other than crashing out) over the course of my fifteen year career. This quality served me well today. This was one of those races where it was important never to give up or lose focus – not even a little. There were so many things that could happen up ahead – people crashing or going backwards, bikes imploding.

I made up a lot of ground that way. I stayed patient and focused and optimistic. I rode the cleanest possible race and capitalized on the mistakes of those in front of me. While it’s completely against my nature to throw in the towel, today served as an important reminder that it’s never over until it’s over and that I should always count myself in it until the end.

All things considered, I’m relatively happy with my result. I have to admit, I’m starting to feel like I own 12^th place. If my tally is correct, this is the seventh time I’ve posted a 12^th place finish in Europe. It’s not a bad result, but I’d much rather own a spot inside the top ten.

I mentioned yesterday that I was a bit worried about how my body would react after my week long illness. Yannick Eckmann contended with the same symptoms that I had, and he reported having a really hard time in his race. He said he couldn’t breathe and that it was bad enough that he thought about pulling the plug. I was worried that I was going to feel the same way.

Luckily, I didn’t even notice my breathing at all. I still have quite a bit of junk in my chest. I can feel it there, but I can’t cough deep enough to get it out. I was afraid that I have this huge need to cough during the race. It wasn’t an issue. More than anything, I think I was just brushing off the cobwebs, blowing off the lungs and surviving the first bout of intensity that I’ve had since Nationals two weeks ago.

With Nommay behind me, I’m now squarely focused on the World Championships in Hoogerheide. We travel to Sittard tomorrow where we’ll stay at Fitland. This week is about resting, relaxing, and staying healthy and hydrated. We’ll get in a few more good training days this week. I’m not talking about hard training days but rides to keep the legs fresh and open. Come Thursday, we’ll head to the team hotel, which will serve as our base in the final build-up to Worlds. It’s nearly game time – and I’m ready to play.

Hello, hello!

I unintentionally took an extended break from my website updates recently. Slacker, I know! After sharing a report after nearly every race this year, I put off the report from Bend in early December (needed to thaw out before I could write that one) and things sort of snowballed from there. I now have four races to catch up on over the last seven weeks, so bare with me!

USAC Cyclocross National Championships

I’ll start with the most recent race – Nationals. It’s the freshest in my memory and the result I’m most proud of recently. Nationals is always a big day. It was made an even bigger day by it’s location. In a typical season, I don’t get to race at home but maybe once or twice a year. Getting to race one of the biggest races of the year right in my own backyard was a thrilling opportunity. Boulder did not disappoint. In fact, I dare say that Austin has its work cut out to top this!

I had twice been on the podium at Nationals previously, and I was very eager to stand on the podium steps again this year after a couple years ‘away’. The result itself, third place, is great, but the way I claimed the result is really what made me proud. To be totally honest, if I had ridden alone all race in third place, I might have been disappointed not to have finished better. Because I engaged in an epic battle with Crystal Anthony (Optum) during the final few laps and came from behind to claim third, stepping onto the podium was extra sweet. The bronze medal came down to the last lap where I swear the noise of the hometown crowds and hearing my name all the way around the course allowed me to dig just a tiny bit deeper. When I crossed the finish line and saw my family and Johs, who were filled with so much emotion and pride, standing there waiting for me, it was really an incredible moment.

I’m guessing most of you know the details of the race by now, so I won’t go into too many particulars. Essentially, I’m just not a fast starter. I don’t start races well, and I typically make up ground lap after lap. That’s exactly how Nationals unfolded. I started out in a group of five riders in pursuit of Katie Compton (Trek), Elle Anderson (California Giant) and Crystal. Eventually, the group separated and I was riding in fourth place about 20” behind Crystal.

It wasn’t until two (of five) laps to go that I thought I might have a chance of catching Crystal. I had closed the gap considerably at the point, and I had her clearly in view. My coach Neal Henderson was standing on the main hill of the race. He had positioned himself away from spectators, so when he shouted out to me, I could hear him well, despite the roar of the crowd. During the last lap, he yelled: “You have to go now!” I dug deep and made one last acceleration to close the gap to Crystal.

After catching Crystal, I played the roadie tactic of sitting on her wheel for a bit. This gave me the chance to catch my breath and see how she was going to play things. We didn’t have a ton of space to play cat and mouse too much. Georgia Gould (Luna) and Rachel Lloyd (California Giant) weren’t that far back, and there was no way I wanted Georgia to catch us.

Halfway around the course on the last lap, I made my move to come around Crystal. From that point, I rode full gas to the finish. I knew that if I let up a tiny bit she would come around me, and I did not want that to happen. I felt confident that if I was the first one to come out of the last corner, I would win the sprint for third. I was significantly less confident of my chances of outsprinting her if she led out the sprint. Fortunately, I was able to hold her off and come out of the corner with a bike length. It was enough to beat Crystal in the sprint.

Immediately after crossing the line, I was swarmed. I think part of the excitement and hype was because of the dramatic fashion in which the last lap unfolded. I know a lot of people would have been happy for me no matter how I did it, but bringing it down to the wire certainly didn’t hurt. I had Johs waiting for me in the finish stretch and my family calling my name from the sidelines. A few friends managed to sneak in the finish stretch, too. The reporters were requesting interviews, USADA was waiting and they threw me on the live broadcast right away. There was just so much going on and so many people celebrating with me. It was awesome.

The whole week was awesome, really. On Tuesday I gave a power point presentation to USAC and race directors from around the country about how to better prepare athletes for international racing. On Thursday night SRAM hosted a ‘pro’s night’ and Amy D Foundation silent auction at Boulder Cycle Sport. On Friday night, several of us pro’s hung out with the Junior kids at their after party to sign autographs. Chatting with the next generations of America’s stars was definitely a highlight of the week.

On Saturday I got to watch my Cal Giant teammates go 1, 2, 3 in the U23 race. It was an impressive ride by the boys! And right after their race, my family and I watched Johs rip it around Valmont. For a guy who doesn’t train consistently, he sure had one heck of a ride out there. It was exciting to get to watch him race on home turf, too.

Christmas World Cups

(photo credit: Tom Prenan)

In preparation for both Nationals and the World Championships, I made a second trip to Europe to race two World Cups over the Christmas holidays. In order to be competitive at Worlds, I strongly believe that we need as much experience racing in Europe as possible. The courses in the States just don’t prepare us for the style of racing we encounter over here. The more races I do here, the better I get at the technical aspects of riding in Europe.

Beyond the experience, I wanted to bank more UCI points. I’m invested in maintaining the best possible UCI ranking to have the best possible start position for Worlds. When you don’t race, you get leapfrogged pretty quickly.

So, I made a ten day trip back to Europe for Namur and Zolder. Namur was the weekend before Christmas and Zolder is always the day after Christmas, which just happens to be my birthday. Historically, Zolder has always been a disastrous race for me.

Naumr was fine. Unremarkable but fine. I finished  in 12^th  place, which was one spot worse than my result last year. The conditions were pretty similar to last year: super muddy, heavy and technical. I rode a smooth, clean race, but I just wasn’t fast enough (or maybe I didn’t take enough risks) to have the sort of result I wanted.

Zolder was brutally disappointing. I’ve done that race three times and have yet to walk away feeling satisfied. Each year there has been some specific incident that has derailed my efforts. The incident this year was totally my fault.

I had been highly focused on my start at Zolder. The start is important at any ‘cross race but it’s extremely important at Zolder. There are fewer places to pass as it is ‘road race’ fast at the beginning, so positioning on lap one is crucial. I needed a good start to race in a good position.

The light turned green and as I pushed down on my pedal, my foot slipped off the pedal. I can only assume that I wasn’t completely clipped into my pedal. When my foot slipped, I was sitting on my saddle with my pedals just spinning on their own as I watched the race ride away from me.

In the second or two that it took me to get back in my pedals and move forward, everybody had blown past me. At that point, all I could do was to keep my focus to somewhat stay in the game as I tried to pick off the riders in front of me. One by one, I made my way through a handful of riders, but it wasn’t enough.

In the end, I finished 21^st and was incredibly crushed. All I wanted was to give myself a big present on my 40^th birthday, but what I ended up with was a terrible result. The worst part is that I rode a clean race. Unfortunately, I started from so far back that there was no way I was going to get the result I wanted. I caught as many people as I could, but I didn’t have enough time to make the sort of gains that would have given me the result I knew I had in me. I felt strong out there and it was a good course for me; that’s what made the whole thing so frustrating. Katie Compton doesn’t have fast starts either, but I am no super woman!

Deschutes Brewery Cup, Bend, OR

Before Nationals, there was Bend, and Bend was freezing! There was a lot of discussion in the days leading up to the race about whether or not the race would even happen. The conditions were that cold (8°C at our start) and harsh. In the end, they decided to go ahead with the race.

The course was a mixture of ice and snow, and despite the frigid temperatures, I had fun out there. My hands were cold during the first few laps, but they warmed up by the end of the race – and other than that, I was comfortable. Well, as comfortable as I could be given the conditions.

I didn’t have great form in Bend. It was my first race back after taking a little bit of a much needed break. I finished in fifth on the day. I wasn’t incredibly thrilled with the result, but it didn’t matter much at that point. I had far bigger fish to fry on the horizons, and I was focused on the upcoming races.

The Mental Game

In the six weeks of racing leading up to Nationals, I probably would have rated myself somewhere around a B- (not a great mark in my book). I hadn’t gotten the results I wanted. I definitely had bigger expectations for my second European trip. Not racing much (because there wasn’t much racing to do) didn’t do much to help my head space either. I went into Nationals feeling like it was crucial that I get a good result. The podium (and earning it the way I did) was exactly what I needed.

Unfortunately, the Valmont Plague got me after Nationals, and I was really sick for about a week. I’m still fighting a few lingering symptoms. When I rode today, I definitely noticed the congestion still lurking in my chest. I have yet to do any hard efforts since Nationals. I was completely off the bike for six days after my race (that’s how sick I got!) and I only had a few days of riding before flying back to Europe. I’m not exactly sure how my body is going to respond to the intensity required for tomorrow’s World Cup in Nommay.

Europe – Round Three

I flew back to Europe on Wednesday. We arrived in Frankfort on Thursday and made the three hour drive to Montbéliard. The rest of the day was low key as there was no time for riding and getting a goodnight’s sleep the first night is always important.

Yesterday we got out for an awesome ride. We found this canal path to take us out of town and did some exploring on the smaller roads through little towns from there. The weather cooperated with sporadic sunshine and no rain. The whole time we were riding, we had perma grins plastered to our faces.

Today we rode over to the race course and did a few pre-ride laps. The course is basically a huge grassy field with a fair amount of mud thrown in for good measure. There’s a dyke or something on the field where we ride up one side and go down the other several times in one lap. Today the ‘up’ sides required running, and I’m guessing tomorrow will be more of the same as the ground is super slick on those parts.

It’s a great course – and a fun course! There is constant up and down with a lot of flat power sections in between. It should be a good course for me as long as my legs and lungs cooperate.

The Last.

Many of you have asked questions or commented on my posts on various social media channels. I’ve mentioned that this could be my last World Cup or my last trip to Europe to race bikes. I wanted to explain further as I don’t know that I’ve fully addressed this yet.

In exactly one week, I will no longer have any obligations as a professional cyclist as I will no longer have a professional contract. I’m completely certain that I won’t race on the road as a full time professional anytime in the future. That doesn’t mean that I won’t race here or there if given the opportunity. It does mean my late winter, spring and summer will look completely different than the way they’ve looked for the last ten years.

While I don’t anticipate much road racing, I am hoping to do some mountain bike racing during what is usually my road season. In terms of ‘cross, I can honestly say I don’t know. I don’t know what I want my ‘cross season to look like, and I don’t know what it will like it. I’ve started to get a more clear picture of the direction my next chapter will take, but I have yet to ascertain exactly how much flexibility I will have and if full time ‘cross racing fits into the picture.

Because of that, I’m treating this as the last. Nommay could be my last World Cup. The World Championships could be the last time I pull on the Team USA kit. I want to do these experiences justice – for myself, my family, my team, my sponsors and my fans. I always want to do everyone proud. Knowing this could be my last chance adds a bit extra motivation.

I’m not walking away from the bike. I can’t imagine I’ll ever walk away from the bike. I’m simply changing my relationship with the sport. I’m excited for what the future might hold and grateful for all the support I continue to receive from everyone as I figure that out.

Cheers,
Meredith

FRIDAY

After a pair of third places in Louisville last weekend, I had hoped to open the first day of racing in Iowa City with a jump up the podium. Instead, I claimed the final step – again – as Katerina Nash (Luna Chix) took the win at JingleCross ahead of Amanda Miller (Team TIBCO). My legs felt strong, and I didn’t make many mistakes. Katerina and Amanda were simply stronger on Mt. Krumpit tonight.

The course tonight was more or less the same as what it’s been the last few times I’ve raced here. The biggest feature of tonight’s course was the steep hill called Mt. Krumpit. The climb began with three railroad ties at the base of the hill, which made riding the hill more difficult. Of the people in front of me, only Amanda was able to ride it each lap. Although Katerina ran, she ran fast. Simply put, she outran me. Amanda was able to keep pace with Katerina because she stayed on her bike. I’d lose time on both of them each time up Mt. Krumpit and would battle my way back into contention later in the lap.

A fast descent followed Mt. Krumpit. Held on the county fairgrounds, the course included a few other fun features. We rode through a couple barns and one of the sandpits was even in a barn. Beyond that, most of the lap was on flat grass, and while the course was twisty, it wasn’t what I would call flowy. Mt. Krupit shattered the field, and the other features did a decent job of allowing those who gained gaps to keep them.

I felt like I had a good race. Amanda took the early lead, and I came around her fairly quickly. Before we hit Mt. Krumpit for the first time, Katerina, Amanda and I were joined by Nicole Duke (Marin/Spy) and Courtney McFadden (Bicycle Bluebrook) in a five rider lead group. The group split over the hill with Katerina and Amanda slipping away from the rest of us.

Three times Katerina and Amanda distanced me on Mt. Krumpit.  Three times I clawed my way back to them. On the fourth lap, they stretched the rubber band a bit too far, and I couldn’t close the gap. That’s when I knew I was racing for third.

It’s always fun racing under the lights. Sometimes, it can feel a little dicey because the entire course isn’t lit well, but after the first couple laps, I learned what line I wanted to take and where there were obstacles I needed to avoid. The next two days of racing are daytime racing – and there’s lots of rain in the forecast. We don’t know what to expect beyond conditions completely different from what we encountered today.

I want to give massive props to John Meehan and all he’s done with this race series. The first time I raced here, riders were changing in cars and teams had pop up tents (at best). This race has grown to include an expo area with team trucks, big tents and lots of features for the fans that turn out in full force to watch a strong, deep field contest one of the premiere race weekends in the Midwest.

SATURDAY

Based on the weather forecast during the week, we were expecting a muddy race in Iowa City today for the second day of JingleCross. We woke up to a grey sky but things looked dry. It hadn’t rained overnight or if it had, the ground was no longer wet. The course was dry when we arrived about three hours before our race start.

The biggest changes to the course today included a long uphill drag all the way to top of Mt. Krumpit. From there, we switched backed our way down an off camber descent. I noticed during the pre-ride that there were a few sections of the course that were slick from moisture. It wasn’t muddy just greasy from the a large number of people choosing the same line over and over all morning long.

It had rained on/off during the few hours before our race but never for more than a minute or two at a time. The conditions lent themselves to dry tires. As we were prepared to stage, heavy, sideways rain began to small. This time, the rain lasted for about 15 minutes – long enough that everyone quickly scrambled to swap dry tries for mud tires.

Given the last minute rain and the scramble ahead of the start, I wasn’t sure what the first lap would look like but I braced myself for chaos. Luckily, it wasn’t too bad. The race split up fairly early, and although the course had gotten more slick as it had gotten saturated, it wasn’t as gnarly was I would have expected.

There’s not much for me to say about my race today. No point in giving you the play-by-play. After good legs yesterday, I had bag legs today. I was empty. I couldn’t dig deep. There was just nothing I could do.

The climb really took a lot of me. Usually anything that requires a large power output is my cup of tea. Not today. I had no way to use my power to my advantage because I had no power to use.

I can’t even say that I suffered today. I couldn’t go hard enough to suffer! I felt like I was just out there riding around in circles. My legs weren’t capable of anything more. I ended the race in fifth place. Katerina Nash (Luna Chix) took back-to-back wins ahead of her teammate Catherine Pendral and my teammate Elle Anderson. Amanda Miller (Team TIBCO) was best of the rest about 30 seconds ahead of me.

It’s impossible to say why my good legs turned into bad legs overnight. These things just happen sometimes. Who knows why I struggled? Let’s just hope bad legs turn into good legs before the big C1 race tomorrow that closes out the weekend.

SUNDAY

Although the severe storm we anticipated on Sunday never materialized, it was wet outside when woke. Wind had replaced the overnight rain by the time we arrived at the course. A squall blew through a handful of times without causing a true change in weather. The only weather feature that was inconsistent was the temperature. It would get cold and warm-up and get cold all over again

We expected mud following the overnight rain. The course was more slick and greasy than thick and sloppy. It wasn’t the kind of mud that required constant bike changes.

The course had changed from the previous two days. The Mt. Krumpit run-up from Friday night had returned but rather than stopping after the run-up and sending us back downhill, we had to hop on our bikes and continue to ride to the top before descending again. The descent on Sunday was a combination of a few new trails that we had used during the races on Friday and Saturday.

The run-p wasn’t technically tricky, but it was slick, so it required full concentration – and it was hard! It took a lot of energy to run and then hop back on the bike and continue to pedal uphill. The descent was also slick. I suspect it was a place where the more technically savvy riders could make big gains.

The only other new section that they added was a steep run-up/ride-up around the mid-point of the lap. I think nearly everyone ran it on the first lap.  I ran it the first two times up, but the last two laps, it was tacky enough that I could ride it.

Everything else was flat. There were several section where power riders could shine and lots of twists and turns. These parts were similar to what we saw during the first two days.

I had a little incident at the start. I always stage with my right foot in the pedal. When the whistle blew on Sunday, I somehow managed to pull my foot out of the pedal, which meant I was completely unclipped. The entire field came blowing past me.

Luckily, the starting straight was wide open and long. This gave me time to move, but because I was far back, I had a lot of ground to gain. I started in the middle of the front line, so riders were swarming past me. It took a long time for me to find a gap I could use to being to pass riders.

By the time we hit the run-up, I was maybe seventh or eighth wheel. I would never get any closer to the front than that. Things separated fairly quickly with Katerina Nash (Luna Chix) opening up a gap when Amanda Miller (Team TIBCO) and Crystal Anthony (Optum) got tangled up in her wake as they run up the steep scramble. By that point, I was pretty much hanging on for dear life.

I thought I had bad legs on Saturday. If those were bad legs, I had no legs on Sunday. I felt like I had absolutely nothing. I actually considered dropping out at one point. That was how bad I felt. I was just doing everything I could to finish the race.

I couldn’t stay with anyone. There was no point in challenging myself to catch the rider in front of me. I had no energy reserve from which to draw. It took everything I had to complete the four laps to cross the line in eighth place. I was lucky to finish in the top ten but extremely disappointed with my result compared to my usual standards.

Despite results that were less than desired, I always enjoy racing at Jingle Cross. It’s a fantastic race weekend – major growth over the last few years, killer courses, excited fans, strong fields.

I’m back in Boulder as of yesterday and am looking forward to a full week off the bike followed by a full week of training. Having raced every weekend since Fort Ord (the weekend ahead of CrossVegas), I haven’t had a solid block of training since before the ‘cross season started. Hopefully the rest followed by the serious training effort is just what the legs need!

Day 2 of the Derby City Cup started off strong with my TIBCO teammate, Amanda Miller, snagging the hole shot. Being very familiar with her wheel, I followed her onto the grass as she took the lead. Wanting a little more speed, I came around Amanda to take charge before Katie Compton (Trek Collective) had the chance. Before long, however, Katie leap frogged us all and lead us through the long sand pit. I don’t remember exactly what happened next, but Katie and Amanda exited the sand with a small gap on the rest of the field.

(photo credit: Yet Another Bike Page Photo Page)

(photo credit: Yet Another Bike Page Photo Page)

(photo credit: Yet Another Bike Page Photo Page)

(photo credit: Yet Another Bike Page Photo Page)

Eventually a chase group took shape that included me, Elle, Crystal Anthony (Optum), Kaitie Antonneau (Cannondale) and Nicole Duke (Marin/Spy). Katie disposed of Amanda at some junction, and we swept up Amanda. Shortly after catching Amanda, Elle went to the front of the chase. I sat behind her and saw an opportunity to allow her to get a gap, so I did. I eased up and watched her ride away from the group.

(photo credit: Yet Another Bike Page Photo Page)

A lap later the first chase group had become three – me, Amanda and Nicole. Amanda took a hard pull and then slotted in the back when her turn was over. I was next in line but forced Nicole to take up chase on my teammate. It’s not often you see team tactics like this happen in CX, and I’m sure Nicole was hating me at that moment!

Elle had established a sizeable gap by the start of lap three. I was feeling pretty good, and I thought I could drop people without taking them across to Elle. Eventually, that’s what I did. During lap four, I made it across to Elle and the two of us rode together.

Heading into one lap remaining, I bobbled on the off camber section before the final pavement finishing straight. Actually, it was more than a bobble – I landed on my left knee and had to scramble to get out of my pedals. It was a crucial mistake that allowed Elle to open a sizable gap on me.

I knew I was riding for third place, with Katie having a lock on the win and Elle solidly riding in second. Behind me, Crystal was still riding hard on the gas so I had to stay focused all the way to the finish to secure my third place.

(photo credit: Yet Another Bike Page Photo Page)

It’s been awhile since I’ve been on the podium twice on the same weekend, so I am happy to walk away with a pair of thirds!

(photo credit: Yet Another Bike Page Photo Page)

I’m always happy to return to Louisville. This place is full of memories for me. I’ve been coming to Louisville since the first year I began racing ‘cross six years ago! After thinking about it, it might actually be the only race I have been to each of the six years. The venue has changed from the old golf course to the ‘cross-specific built Eva Bandman park, but the city remains the same.

After having pre-ridden the course yesterday, I was excited for the weekend. Keegan Schelling (former course designer for the now defunct USGP group) put together a fast and flowy lap. He included the ‘usuals’ such as the long sand pit we saw at Worlds, two other shorter sand pits and the ridiculous fly-over (I wish they would burn that thing because the stairs are way too steep! It’s hardly a fly-over when your front wheel is ramming the person is front of you before taking a step.). Plus, we had a lot of flowy single track like lines through the trees and open, power sections on the flat land. Basically, it’s a course that suits my strengths.

After the weekend in Cincy, I am now #2 American woman in the UCI rankings, which gives me a great call-up. I lined up next to numero uno, Katie Compton (Trek), and focused on having a decent start. I am never the fastest off the line, but the long pavement section leading us onto the grass afforded me enough time to move into a good position quickly. Crystal Anthony (Optum) took the hole shot and we fell in behind her.

Before hitting the first long sand pit, Katie came around Crystal with Elle in tow. Katie flew through the sand pit and opened a little gap off the front that only Elle could match. Behind them Crystal, Nicole Duke (Marin/Spy), Amanda Miller (TIBCO) and I had formed the first chase group.

As Katie continued to push the pace, she opened a small gap on Elle. Through each section of sand, Katie started to open a bigger gap until Elle was in no man’s land between Katie and the chase group.

By the time Katie crossed the finish line to mark the conclusion of the first lap, she had a handful of seconds over Elle. Nicole and I had joined forces, about ten seconds behind Elle. Crystal and Amanda were the next two to cross the line.

During the second and third laps, Nicole fell off my pace and Crystal made her across to me as Elle started to fall back. Rather than drag Crystal up to Elle, I played the “I have a teammate up the road” card and forced Crystal to do all the work. Her efforts dragged us up to Elle over the flyover affectionally dubbed The Green Monster.

Inside the fourth lap, Crystal and I were putting time into Elle as had fallen off the pace. I made the mistake of allowing Crystal to lead into the sandpit. I followed her too closely, touched her wheel and landed myself in the sand. Crystal made it out of the sand pit with a gap on me.

Initially, I gave the chase my best effort, but I eventually realized Crystal was riding strongly enough that I wouldn’t catch her unless she made a mistake. With half-lap left to race, I let off the gas a little bit until I rolled in for third place behind Crystal (second) and Katie (first).

Although I’m happy to be on the podium, it’s a bittersweet result because of the tactical mistakes I made. I rode well enough, but in the end I feel it was my mistakes that kept me from second place. I need to make sharper decisions next time! Despite that, I had fun out on the course. I’m looking forward to seeing what sort of changes they’ll make for day two and hoping I have better legs on Sunday.

I have fond memories of the Harbin course park used for the final day of the Cincy3 Cyclocross Festival. Two years ago, I raced here and finished second after a hard fought battle with Caroline Mani (Raleigh Clement). I remembered the sandpit and a few tricky sections. I was geared up for another fun, challenging race.

This year, because of the mild weather, the course was pretty straightforward. There were a few potentially slick spots but nothing too worrisome. The sand was super fast. Two years ago, the course ran in a different direction through the sand – uphill. This year, we went downhill through the sand, making for a super fast section. The course was flowy and fun – far easier than the previous two days of racing (and somewhat welcome after two hard days of racing already).

After the race, I overheard Katie Compton (Trek Collective), when asked, tell the UCI officials she thought the course was too easy. It’s true that there was no place that forced a real selection and the features weren’t too difficult, but I enjoyed it. The other two days of racing were really tough. It was nice to have something slightly less tough to round out the weekend.

My solid start was foiled slightly by a last minute wheel change before heading to staging. In fact, the wheel change was so last minute that I managed to miss my call up. Luckily, I was there before the entire front row had been called up, so it wasn’t too much of a problem. As I waited on the start line, I realized that my rear wheel didn’t have enough pressure.

Off the line, I was second wheel behind Katie, but without the right tire pressure, I was hesitant through the corners, which Katie completely railed. She gapped me slightly through every turn, and out of a tight turn, Katerina Nash (Luna) came around me and closed the gap to Katie. In less than half a lap, those two were gone, setting the stage for what I later learned was an exciting show for spectators in the race for the win.

I’m not the best at bike changes, and because I lack confidence in using the pit, I definitely don’t change my bike as often as I should. I should have done more than one change in Saturday’s mudder and I should have changed my bike earlier than I did on Sunday. I get nervous that I will lose too much time to get back to whatever group I’m in without spending a lot of energy, especially at the start of the race when the pace is extremely fast.

The first time through the pits, I didn’t change my bike. The second time through the pits, I yelled to my mechanics that I needed more psi in my rear tire. Finally, the third time through the pits, after one-and-a-half laps of racing, I did the change. At that point, there had already been a selection, and I was able to swap bikes fast enough to make it back to my group.

(photo credit: Yet Another Bike Photo Facebook page)

My group included Kaitie Antonneau (Cannondale) and my teammate Elle Anderson. By then, the three of us where racing for third. After my bike change, when I made it back to Kaitie and Elle, I noticed that Elle was sitting on Kaitie, letting her do all the work. With two against one, we needed to start racing so I began to launch the first of several attacks. We quickly established a little pattern: I would attack. Kaitie would cover. I’d sit up and see if either Kaitie or Elle would make a move. There wasn’t much of a response so I’d attack again or force Kaitie to come around. Repeat several times.

Inside the fourth (of five laps), Elle decided she would take a turn with an attack. Kaitie was tiring at that point, having responded to my attempts, so when Elle jumped on a hill, Kaitie couldn’t follow. While I might have had the legs to match Elle’s acceleration, as her teammate, I was forced to wait.

With my teammate away, my job was to sit on Kaitie’s wheel, forcing Kaitie to do the work, as I allowed Elle to establish a gap. There’s clear reasoning behind this. If I did attack Kaitie and Kaitie was able to respond, I didn’t want to bring her back up to Elle. There needed to be enough distance between us and Elle before I could start attacking again. With only a lap to go in the race, my opportunity to attack didn’t come until near the end.

As Elle began to stretch out her advantage, I plotted a move of my own. I attacked Kaitie on the last lap in the same spot where Elle had launched her move a lap earlier. My jump opened up a gap on Kaitie before the finish, and I crossed the line in fourth place. Katerina bested Katie in a two-up sprint for the win while Elle rounded out the podium.

I had fun in Cincy. The courses offered something for everyone. The spectators were out in full force. The competition made for some really exciting racing. Overall, it was a really great weekend. In my mind, the most important thing the race organizers get right is the prize money. As I said yesterday, they have an equal payout from top to bottom for the men’s and women’s field. It’s a rarity that shouldn’t be as rare as it is. It’s definitely something I appreciate.

Next up: Louisville, a quick stop at Zipp, JingleCross and then a couple weeks at home around Thanksgiving. I don’t think I’ve spent that much time at home since May or June – and I’m really looking forward to a week off and another solid block of training.