The opening race of the Seattle Cyclocross Series and we almost got a real cyclocross race! Overnight rain hadn't made much of an impact on a bone-dry course, and distinctly blue skies greeted early racers, but black foreboding clouds soon rolled in before our race went off. Waiting at the start line the skies opened and down came the rain. The delay to start of the race ensured our bodies had got nicely chilled before we actually started. It was beginning to feel like cyclocross!
I had a good start, but couldn't hold 2nd for long and somewhere in the choas of catching up with men that had gone off before us I was relegated to 4th place. The wind that had brought the rain in meant that finding shelter behind other racers was essential if one wanted to rest at all. I was thankful that I didn't get blown into the railings along the velodrome like the guy in front of me did and I didn't get tangled in the ever deteriorating course tape that was flapping around us like streamers at Xmas.
I don't remember the rain stopping, but I do remember it getting hotter and hotter with each lap as the sun came back out to ensure that the course remained dry. Conditions were not going to be in my favor and as hard as I tried, 4th was it for me for the rest of the race......
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