Saturday, November 23, 2013

Jingle Cross 2013

Haven't updated in a while so here it is! Jingle Cross is probably my favorite cross race of them all. Three days of fantastic racing. Unfortunately I was sick all week and did not race Friday so that I could rest up for Saturday. This was my cat 3 premier race and unfortunately did not go as planned. I had a good start and started working my way up through the ranks and was riding in about 10th. It started to go down hill on the second lap when I tried to get around a poor bike handler right before the grinches lair sand pit and he jumped ahead and smashed into the wall and almost made me endo. Later in the lap on the off camber down hill a guys crashed and I missed the turn trying to avoid him and me and my bike went completely over the snow fence but luckily there where a lot of spectators who caught me and put me back on the course. By then I was back to 17th. Gong into the yule logs at the beginning of the last lap was when disaster really struck. I dismounted and was running over the logs when my back wheel bumped a log and I stumbled whacked my forehead against my handle bars. I immediately started gushing blood, my chain was also off and I was to disoriented to put it back on so I ran the 50 yards to the pit and switched bikes I lost quite a few places but still finished that last lap and ended up 35 out of 84 starters. I went to the first aid tent and they cleaned it up a bit and sent me off to the emergency room where I got six stitches. I was going to race the next day but my legs were trashed I was pretty out of it we later decided that I had a concussion. I cant wait to tear it up again at jingle cross next year!






Wednesday, November 13, 2013

The Mud Fund Derby City Cup

This was a fantastic race, the atmosphere the course, the people, the venue, everything! The 2013 Cyclocross World Championships were here in February so that should give you a idea about how amazing the Louisville cyclocross scene is. Last minute I ended up driving to my friends the Schmidts in lake Geneva Thursday night and left early Friday morning for Louisville with them. (My dad and sister came down Saturday morning just in time to bring my pit bike). Andy and I prerode the course and did the Tim Johnson clinic and then went out to eat. We got back to the hotel watched some TV, prepared for the next day, and went to sleep.

I raced at 10:00, we left just before 8:00 so that we would have plenty of time for course recon. I warmed up and went to the start line to get my call up. The whistle was blown and we took off, I was second through the first corner and dropped to third wheel, Nick started to pull away because the guy in second was terrible in the corners and wouldn't let me pass. I finally got around him and caught up to Nick. I jumped him right before the long sand pit, I rode the whole thing and up the bank and when I looked back I had a good thirty second gap, and that was only the first lap. I rode the rest of the race by my self. I finished 1:19 ahead of second place and a 1:30 ahead of the winner of the Cat 4/5 race. I was pretty thrilled!

The next day two older very fast boys decided to do the 15-18 boys. I had the worst start ever and was in 20th place going up the steps. I moved back up to third after nick dropped his chain but Max and Ryan were already to far ahead for me to catch by my self. I could have done better but my back was in agony the whole race and that combined with my bad start made me finish third. It was a fun time down in Louisville and I can't wait for Jingle Cross this coming weekend!




Thursday, November 7, 2013

Cinci Three Day Cyclocross Festival




This was the first time we went down to this race and I was not disappointed! We left late Thursday night and got to Indianapolis by 1:30. 
Day 1
We left the hotel at 8:00 and arrived at the race at 10:30 for my 11:30 start.
 I prerode the course and it was tough, there was lots of climbing and it was a little muddy. Luckily I got first call up to the start line out of all the juniors and cat 4/5's. They fired the gun and we took off, I didn't have a great start so I spent the first couple minutes of the race catching up to first. From there Enzo jumped on my wheel and we opened up a huge gap on the rest of the field. I made up time on him on the hills and finally towards the end of the second lap I pulled rode away from and got a good 40 seconds ahead of the whole field. I was thrilled to get the 15-18 win and the overall win!
Day 2
The mud cometh! Mud, true cyclocross conditions and this course had it all, stairs, almost unride-able hills, barriers and a sand pit. I was thrilled because the barriers were short! So I could bunny hop them, I have been practicing for a while so I was glad to use my new skills. I got first call up and  took my place on the line. We took off but I didn't have a great start. Once we got to the hill I passed every one into second and nick got away but I caught him on the finishing straight at the end of the first lap. After the hill I started to pull way from him because I was faster through the turns and I bunny hopped the barriers but once we got back to the finishing straight for the final lap he caught up again. I led until the big mound where I rode the technical hill and after the last climb I took off down the hill hard and once we went by the sand pit I looked back and he was way back, I rode the rest of the race solo. I was thrilled for my second win of the three day cyclocross festival and to have a great time in the mud!
Day 3
This was the final day of this incredible event unfortunately and by now, my legs were feeling pretty tired! The course was pretty average but had a nice sand pit and a run up with some ride-able logs. The gun was fires and we took off I almost pulled the whole shot and immediately jumped onto Nicks wheel after the first turn. I followed his wheel and we opened up a monster gap on the rest of the field. On the second lap I went down in a corner and spent the whole rest of the lap closing back in on him. On the second to last lap I figured it would turn out to a sprint so I mentally noted places were I could pass him and where I was faster then him. I was going through the last set of turns much faster then him so I knew that's where I had to be ahead of him. He attacked on the hills right before the last set of turns and I stuck with him. He relaxed for a second and I counter attacked him. I took off through the corners as fast as I could and opened up a 10 foot gap. I moved over to the right side as we were going onto the pavement so he couldn't force me to move to the outside and I managed to hold him off in the sprint for my third victory of the weekend. 

This was a amazing weekend of racing and I was super glad to be able to come and race down in Cincinnati. I was thrilled to take the win all three days on three different courses! My sister Emma Swartz who is 16 got 13th place on Friday in the UCI Women's elite race and 14th on Saturday, and Sunday unfortunately her back went out and she had to pull out. I'm looking forward to Louisville next weekend!






Where I dropped nick on day 2
Me sprinting for the win on day three