Mount Snow Classic XC Race

Mount Snow Classic XC Race
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Location: Mount Snow, West Dover, Vermont

Turn out to the race was really good for the pro/cat1 open category (I am guessing over 30 again). Weather has good, a bit cloudy and humid and 80 degrees.

I had a bunch of mechanical issues in this race. The freehub wasn’t working right; it would make a loud winding sound when I wasn’t pedaling. Also my chain came off 5 times.  The three smallest rings of my cassette were packed with grass and mud thick enough that they didn’t work. That probably wasn’t too much of a disadvantage considering that everyone was probably having similar mud issues (except of Thom Parsons who was riding a single speed).  Also I had a flat tire on the last lap decent.  I am pretty sure I was in the top 10 before the flat but fell into the teens after.

The silver lining in it all is that now I know the things I need to fix before racing here again in a few weeks and Windham for the East Cup races.  Also I discovered the possibility of using the pond at he bottom of the course as a after race clean up place. I took a dip with Wheels and Burns after the race and it felt really good.  I Think I found a new Mount Snow tradition. 

I just registered last night for the east cup races. It was pretty pricey $65 per race.  I don’t get why it is so much more expensive for the east cup race than it is for regional races.  I can do 2.5 regional races for the same price as two east cup races.  I paid $25 dollars to race yesterday at mount snow.  In a few weeks I will race on the same course for $65.  Where dose the large additional expense fit in? more people sign up for the east cup races.  I would think the more people, the more profit and the less that would need to be charged to make the race happen.  Despite the lofty price tag I am looking forward to both of these races and I plan on having a good time.