WORS #2 Englewood Open

WORS race number two! This time out at Englewood Grass Farm on their homemade single track turned race course. Although I am a bit biased in my opinion as an Englewood sponsored athlete, this is one of my favorite WORS courses. It's new to the series and is ripping fast with plenty of fun singletrack and technical rock gardens. I pre-rode on Wednesday after some course work with Ben Agnew and got my lines dialed.

Since I didn't race until 3:30 and it's only a 35-minute drive I got to relax Saturday morning before heading out to the race. Then the usual: registration, nutrition, tire pressure, and then kit up, warm up, and call up.

I lined up in the middle of the front row, almost centered on the apex of the first corner. Don did his famous countdown and we took off with me leading the charge, taking the holeshot. I lead up the first couple of pitches and out onto first big straight away on. Cole House came around me at a full sprint and I glued myself to his wheel. Ben Senkerik and Pete Karinen also came around me and I slotted in 4th wheel through the first few single track sections.

When we got to the midpoint of the lap I attacked from the back of the group up a short pitch into a descent and into another climb where I stayed on the gas up and over into the descent. I lead the rest of the lap and into the second lap when the group came around me. On the ridge straight away Isaac went to the front with me on his wheel. Cole came around him again and Pete tried to sneak by on the inside of the corner at top speed causing the whole group to slam on the brakes to avoid crashing, pushing me back to fifth wheel.

Photo: Gary Smits

I was hurting from my time in the lead but stuck with it refusing to lose the front group. After the double climb and descend section we were heading into the rock garden at the top of the climb when Pete tried to pass Isaac at an inopportune moment. They went into the chunky rock roller and Isaac hit Pete and had to slam on the brakes to avoid crashing, bringing him, Ben and I to a stop, while Pete and Cole attacked down the descent.

Photo: Brad Sovinski

From there I gave chase separating myself from Isaac and Ben going into the third lap. Then it was three laps straight out in no man's land. I managed to hold/close the gap on Pete and Cole, even getting it down to about ten seconds but I could never quite make contact. In the end. I finished 30 seconds behind the front two, the closest I have ever been to the win of a WORS race. My legs felt great and I was happy to have held pace with the top guys and to have put in more time at the front then I ever have before!

As always big thanks to my team Linear Sport  RT and our sponsors: Trek, Bontrager, Wheel & Sprocket, Styled Aesthetic, Kettle Moraine Preservation and Restoration, and David Hobbs Honda. Thank you as well to my personal sponsors, Englewood Grass Farm, TOGS, Fox Racing Shocks, Honey Stinger, Mike's Mix, Wolf Tooth Components and ESI Grips.

Huge thanks to Ben and Kristi Agnew for putting on such an awesome event out at Englewood Grass Farm. Thank you as well to my awesome Linear Sport Racing teammates for all their support and cheers!