Budu Final Race: Soaring Eagle

What a way to end the series! Not only was the weather warm enough for sightings of shirtless racers at the finish line and pale white Washingtonian legs, but there was cash and schwag at the end. Dani even managed to score a pair of $150 Specialized sunglasses! I walked away with a waterbottle, but the pinkish tinge of a sunburn was very satisfying. Theresa was still out with a sprained ankle, but Dani represented GL6 during the beginner race and earned third place! Erin, John, Dave, Kyle, and Edward raced the Sport race and Erica was back from her injury in the Singlespeed category.

The course was identical to the previous Soaring Eagle race, in layout and conditions. Though it was sunny, the previous day's rain created some soft muddy sections the gave the calves a nice splattering. Unlike last time, however, the race organizers decided to let the Sport women start first instead of last, with a three minute interval between them and the next category. Last time around, only one woman was able to complete the entire four laps without being lapped and pulled off the course, so the point was to give the women a head start so they wouldn't get lapped. Thoughtful though this gesture was, it did not work as intended. Instead of only getting passed by a few leaders at the end of the race, the women were now passed by over half of the ENTIRE sport category throughout the race. On top of this, places to pass effectively were limited. I found myself riding off into the bushes, taking poor lines, loosing speed and spinning out to let someone pass me, which made getting into a good groove nearly impossible. Those passing were forced into an equally awkward position while trying to pass strings of people that were going slower than they were. Good idea gone wrong, but at least everyone, both women and men, were equally screwed =) In the end, the constant passing was more an annoyance than something that sucked up time.

Unfortunately, Kyle had his first mechanical of the year, breaking the chain on his sweet new singlespeed ride. That didn't stop him from dominating the U-18 category for the series; he had enough top three finishes under his belt to keep him in the first place slot for the series in the Sport U-18 category. I had my best race of the season so far, complete with an all-out push to the finish, shaving three minutes off my previous time for the course and finishing 2nd in both my age category, overall for the Sport women, and for the series. David finished a solid 9th, breaking the top 10 for his large age category, and Erica finished 3rd. This was a great early season series!! Well-organized, mellow, and FUN!

Results

Beginner Women 30-39

Dani Vergara, 3rd

Sport Men 30-39

Edward Vergara, 13th

Sport Men 40+

David Snyder, 9th

John Curtin, 20th

Sport U-18

Kyle Curtin, DNF (mechanical)

Sport Women 30-39

Erin Roe, 2nd

Sport Singlespeed

Erica Keller, 3rd