March 21-22, 2009
Fontana
, CA
The National series still exists! There was some serious question at the end of last season, but luckily due to the hard efforts of Scott Tedro from Sho-Air the series is still alive.
I was really looking forward to this event but as luck would have I came down with a nasty stomach flu the week of the race. I struggled all week to pull it together and by Friday I thought I felt good enough to ride. I was signed up for th Super D and the Downhill. No cross country this time as it would have been right before the downhill and there was no way I could do both. With being sick this week I wouldn't have been able to do the XC anyways.
Lets cut right through the B.S. the super D was terrible. It was nothing more than a section of the cross country course with no technical downhills and some hefty climbing. In retrospect I shouldn't have even competed, but because I can be stubborn I did it anyways. I have been working hard to be in good shape for this race and was looking forward to mixing it up with the Nations best. I did however under estimate the top Pro XC guys as well as how much toll my sickness took on me.
The race started with about a minute and half climb to a relatively long meandering downhill. I knew for me to have any chance at a good result I would have to be first or near the front at the start of the first downhill and some how put a gap on the field. After an odd ball mass start I scrambled for my bike and sprinted off as hard as I could go. By the time we got to the top of the first climb I was second. Great! However I was completly destroyed. As I rolled toward the beggining of the downhill I got passed by at least 4 guys. I got into line on the downhill and was so smoked all I could do was just sit on their wheel. By the time we got to the bottom of the downhill I was still nowhere near recovered and I sat there helplessly as I watched guys like Adam Craig and Craig Decker literally dissappear in front of my eyes. I limped my way into the finish in 11th of 20 pro men. Yeah only 20 pro men signed up for the event which is a joke in itself. Promoters must put some effort into making proper Super D courses or the Super D will die off.
The DH course was definitely more technical and dangerous than the typical Fontana races. Noramlly I would invite this with open arms but with being sick all week and riding free ride style bike rather than a full on DH bike I chose to take the conservative keep your body in one piece approach. I did what I could when I could and did what I had to do to keep it safe and still managed a top ten finish. Although I was really hoping to put in a podium run I had just to many things not going in my favor.
Will have to get em the next time...
-Joe Lawwill
|
