Race report: Warwick, RI (overdue!)

On December 7th, I raced in a cyclocross race in Warwick, RI. Equipped with a set of Zipp 404 clincher wheels, a new Dura-Ace rear derailleur, a single 39-tooth chainring, and a lighter saddle, my cyclocross bike was ready to race. I had damaged the bicycle two weeks earlier in a race in Northampton, MA, when I got a flat tire and tangled my chain after a run-up. The changes made my ride easier to shift, and at 20.5 lbs, as light as it was going to get.

The course was substantially longer than any cross course I had done to date. Off the start, two tight U-turns on road caused delays. Following that was a beach sand run and a run-up. Some twists through the woods led to barriers, and some more twisty riding led to an unusually long road section. After the road, an off-camber turn and more dirt riding led to another sand pit and run-up, and finally, the downhill road finish. It was a fast course, which I used to my benefit. My number was 466. This meant that I started almost at the back. I spent the 45 minutes of race time fighting my way back to the front- successfully! The long road section really let me pick up speed.

I finished in 9th place, and was the 1st collegiate finisher in the Cat 4 / Cat D race. I'll need to move up soon.

I was supposed to race the following morning, but we were advised to stay in on account of snow. The snow was not that bad, and the race went on without me. Oh well.