October 18, 2007 - Cross Win

It’s time for a recap of my (Matt White’s) 2007 Cross season, well overdue at this point. Please excuse this “Matt-centric” race report, I will try to remember where my teammates finished on the day, and the details of their races.

White 2nd at NJ State Fair Summer Cyclocross, August 11
Including a Bunny Hop Contest!

It all starts back at the New Jersey State Fair in Mid August, before the cross bikes and Mt shoes really take over the bike room. I dusted off the 06 race rig, and put some knobby tires on the rims. Although a bit of a drive for this race, the racing action is intense and the prize money plentiful, or as least plentiful for a 45 min race, so it made the schedule.

It starts off with a two lap, 4 man elimination race. As a reigning champ, they gave me a buy to the final rounds, and the rest of the riff raff raced each other to get to race me. I thought this was a funny though, as the some of the guys that got to race me in the finals already have 6-8 full speed laps in there legs and were looking a little tired. This two lap race was all about the whole shot, as the course is tough to pass on. I nailed it and took home my first blue ribbon of the night.

Next up was the bunny hoping contest, limbo style until the bar was knocked. Again I had passes until we got to some real heights. So the riff raff played with 6 and 8 inch hops for a while to give the crowds some thrills, then when we got to 10 inch there were only a few guys they kept going. At 16 or so it was down to just two of us, me on my race Cannondale with full seat height, and some guy in plain clothes on a tiny cross bike with the seat all the way down. A RINGER!! He was hired to give me some competition. I was out at 22 inches, and the ringer nailed 24 inches with ease. Second place for me, I was now tired from really jacking myself into the air for that kind of height.

Last was the 45 min traditional style race. I took second again to my roommate Al Donahue, the last time he will ever beat me in a cross race. I had some work to do on the form, but that was the beginning of the cross training season.

After NJ it was back to road for a couple more weeks. We did the Tour of the Hilltowns were Hayden Brooks took 7th, and Toby Marzot got 16th in the 100 mile NE classic. The boys did GMSR while I was home sick. Univest was a wash, Doylestown Crit was a little more fun, Josh Dillon and I took 14th and 18th respectively. The NH crits were a ton of fun the following weekend, Dillon won on Sat, and I won a bunch of primes on Sunday, and took 8ths place while Dillon road the break and took 5th. That’s the end of road season, now it’s time for the dirt.

White Wins Coonamesset Eco Cross with Marzot in 5th, September 22

The first weekend of cross racing is usually pretty low key, and this year was no different. It was two “local” level races, one of the Cape and the other in Bedford MA. Coonamasette Farm hosted Sat, and provided quite a technical course that was a little “mt. bikey”, but fun. Toby Marzot had control of race early, as I worked my way through the field.

I decided to start mid pack to make the start a little more hectic, but was able to get to the front before long and take over the race. I gapped everyone quickly and road in for a solo victory. Toby’s race was a little more exciting for the crowd as he battled with Matt Kraus of RS, and Kevin Wolfson on Corner Cycle, but I think took last in that group. He looked great all day on that shiny new white bike just the same.