2012 US Cup East/SERC #1--Haile's Trail in Gainesville, FL (3/18/12)

Last weekend was the start of the new US Cup East/SERC series and I was so excited!! First of all, my new Specialized Stump Jumper Comp Carbon came in on Friday afternoon, just in time for me to get it built and be able to pre-ride Haile's Trail for the race on Sunday. All I can say is I love this bike!!

On Saturday, my mom, dad and I pre-rode the course at Haile's Trail. I can only describe it as H-A-R-D!! For this race, Dave reversed the course from the last two times we raced there and added a whole new section of climbs and drops that definitely made me work harder than any course I can remember. By the time I had done a few laps though, I felt pretty good and was anxious to get racing in the morning.

Nine of us lined up for the start. There were some familiar faces, like Trent, John Michael, Ethan, and Zach, but there were several new boys that came out too. I knew John Michael would be very tough competition, but I had no idea what kind of riders the other boys were. It turns out they were very strong.

For the first time ever, when Dave blew the whistle, I got up in my pedals quick and got the hole shot. I knew the first section of the course was the hardest and if I was going to be able to win, I had to get out in front before we got there. Of course, John Michael was right behind me, just waiting for me to make a mistake.

John Michael

Unfortunately for me, John Michael didn't have to wait long. I took a bad line on one of the climbs and he got around me. I stayed right behind him for a while, but some bad luck with lap traffic slowed me down and allowed him to get a gap on me. I spent the whole first lap just trying to catch back up, and I suspect he spent the whole first lap making sure I didn't.

By the time I made it through that first new section of climbs again, I was pretty well spent. During the second lap, I saw John several times, but just didn't have enough energy left to really go after him like I wanted to.

Trent

Ethan A.

Behind me, Trent was racing hard against two of the new guys from Leroy's Bike Shop, Samuel and Ethan A. The other Ethan, who won the 9-11 year old race earlier in the morning was close behind. He had a nasty fall during the rock garden section around the first quarry, but got right up and kept on racing. You can see how tough he is in the video my dad made.

Ethan N.

My race face

At the end of the race, I was happy with how I rode and how hard I tried, but I was also disappointed that my one little mistake let John Michael get around me so early. Still, after finishing dead last at last year's race, I have to be pretty happy with second place. It's a definite improvement.

The Podium:  John Michael (1st Place), Me (2nd Place), Samuel (3rd Place), Trent (4th Place), and Ethan A. (5th Place)

This weekend, my dad and I are going to try something a little bit different--single speed racing!! I can't wait!! Look for us at Gone Riding's Single Speed Intergalactic Championship (SSIC) at the Ross Prairie Trailhead  (part of the Santos trails). It should be a blast!