Book of Chad

In the air on a cross bike. Ian Condron

Cumberland features a mix of long and wide grass straights, tight corners, and mountain bike terrain. This year was no different. The race began with probably the longest runway before the first real corner I have ever raced. Starting in the second row was not a disadvantage because the draft was really important in this section. As a group, we hit the first obstacle, a corner into a single barrier on an off-camber section. We then powered into a Cumberland staple, the spiral. Over the years at Cumberland, this section has taken on many different iterations. One year it was just a massive spiral that brought the whole field into it and then spat them all back out again. Another year it was four spirals connected. This year, it was a bit of a corner maze and a single line of spiral around it. I’m dizzy after all that spiral talk. We exited the spiral into the wooded area where they had a couple of mulch piles in the way and then back onto the off-camber. The second off-camber was the home of the second barrier, this time a downhill dismount into the barrier to test your skills. A long straight section with a single wide left corner brought you into a few corners near the pits before the gap jump. Well, come back to the gap jump later. Next, we are into the dogleg rooty single-track section. From there, we go through the sand section and onto the outskirts of the BMX section where you would find the buttcats on the bleachers handing out libations. Finally, back into the wooded area to hop over a couple of logs and wind your way back to start another lap.

I made a good start from the 2nd row, held back a bit to avoid burning out too quickly, and managed to get just outside the top 10 after the first barrier. I used other riders to help me along the straights and ended up in a good group with Mateus, Sam, Derek, and Damian. Initially, I led the group and we were well spaced out. However, the group later bunched up, and Mateus took the lead in the power sections, creating gaps before the single track. We managed to catch up with him during the technical sections lap after lap. After a close encounter with a tree, Mateus fell behind. The battle within our group of four intensified, with Sam and Derek on single speeds being at a disadvantage when Damian and I had the straightaways. Each of us had our strengths and weaknesses around the course. I felt in control and was able to recover at several spots. However, on the fifth lap, I got a stitch, similar to the one you get after eating before running. I had never experienced this while cycling, and my usual remedy of standing up straight, pressing my hand against it, and taking deep breaths didn’t seem feasible on a cross course. Damian, then Sam, and finally Derek overtook me towards the end of the lap. I tried hard to keep up with them in case the stitch went away, but it didn’t improve, and I couldn’t stay within reach over the following laps.

I have a lot to be happy about with this race. For the first time, my second lap was faster than my first, and my third lap was faster than my second. Laps four and five were 10 seconds slower than the first three, but some traffic on lap four and a stitch on lap five made up for that. Laps six and seven were further behind, but I guess that’s what I get for fighting the stitch.

Okay, so I promised to discuss the gap jump, and here it is. During a cross race, there was a gap jump that was added for the spectacle. It did indeed make for a great show and resulted in some impressive pictures. Fortunately, there were no crashes or injuries, and no one’s cross bike broke in half. So everything should be fine, right? Well, I don’t think so. The issue here was that the gap jump was the “A” line, while the go-around was the “B” line, and it was much faster to go over the jump. I observed a line of seven racers in the masters men field, where the racer at the back of the line was the only one to go over the jump and pass all of them. Even some well-known racers in the elite field decided it was too risky, especially since they were heading to the US for a race in a few days. It put those who didn’t want to risk their bodies or bikes at an unfair disadvantage, and in my opinion, this setup was not fair. I’m all for having obstacles like this on courses, but it can’t give such an unfair advantage. I must admit that I took the jump every lap to gain an advantage, but we have to consider the people who came to race cross. XC and Enduro are in the spring and summer.

Race: COTR #2 Coal Cross
Time: 59:50 Laps: 7
Avg Heart Rate: 187
Max Heart Rate: 195
Place: 21st