Saturday, May 21, 2016

12th and final Battenkill race

The 12th annual and final of it's kind Tour of the Battenkill race done - that are now 7 completed BK races since 2010 for Py.
A few minor non ideal and little stupid circumstances from not in time hitting the bathroom before start again to a too old cassette skipping in some gears at high torque on my BK proven race wheel set [never flatted those even at bad gravel/hole conditions!!] and a bad minute at a key steep on gavel skipping gears and needing to pe... all was good, a great well run and smooth race, a very competitive tough CAT4-40+ field of about 100 (signed up) racers -- but so I got a notch too much of an gap at that short steep gravel climb "Juniper Swamp" now at km 65 and this time I was not able to catch back on as so often in the past a little spread out situation was not an issue, but this time they kept the hammer down up front.... and with those two riders I picked up finding my self the strongest we were not able to catch back on, we had them in sight twice possible a minute or so up the road, tried hard all the way until F2 when I gave up on this mission impossible and decided to take a bathroom break and declared the racing been over. However, I made up the stopped time in a way I caught back up to the one/two guys I was riding with... we picked up one more later who the dumb hell decide to sprint with me to the finish [not knowing this time for 29th place], but failed as I got this -- haha. So 29th it was this time. Not super happy, but looking at my limited recent "race dedicated" training -- I take it. Fair game, great event, all smooth, no delays or lines, superb support and course marshalling/control. Dieter Drake, big thank you to all the helpers! Plus I was amazed -- even unexpected -- still been in front my my spare wheels at all times, which I did not needed :)

--- WAITING FOR RACE PHOTOS --- 

 



Cheers.
-Py

Py's BK race years:
http://pyzahl.blogspot.com/2016/05/12th-and-final-battenkill-race.html
http://pyzahl.blogspot.com/2015/04/tour-of-battenkill.html
http://pyzahl.blogspot.com/2014/04/tour-of-battenkill.html
http://pyzahl.blogspot.com/2013/04/1st-race-for-py-of-2013-tour-of.html
http://pyzahl.blogspot.com/2012/04/battenkill-2012.html
http://pyzahl.blogspot.com/2011/04/tour-of-battenkill-2011-new-dirt.html
http://pyzahl.blogspot.com/2010/04/tour-of-battenkill-plenty-of-room-for.html
http://pyzahl.blogspot.com/2009/04/tour-of-battenkill.html