Campton CX 2022

What's the phrase?  Fool me once shame on you.  Fool me twice then shame on me.

We will get back to that.

Campton is the annual Halloween race.  Many people dress up either a tiny bit or just all out.  I just stuck to my Tower kit as did the other Tower racers.

In my race we had myself, Bryan and Joe.  Both Bryan and Joe have continued to improve their placing each week.  Tony is working out some back issues and is sidelined for a bit.

The 55+ race had George, Fran, Bob, Brad and Mark.

Having a good start to the race can make or break your race.  At Campton I just got lucky.  I missed my pedal with my right foot and then accidentally unclipped with my left foot.  So I was just sitting there on my saddle not attached to the bike.  While that doesn't sound lucky it may have kept me out of the carnage.  A front row guy snapped his chain and took down/blocked a ton of people on the right side.  Joe and I were near the left and avoided it all.  I think there was a second faller too right after that but heck it could have just been part of the same crash.  That being said I was in a decent position.
The course after the star this year took us up a gravel path which then took us up a grass rise.  So, we were going up just enough to take the mickey out of our legs.  It wasn't steep but it just kept going.  It was important to not blow up and just keep your pace.   
Besides the normal barriers this year they added logs (telephone poles??).  The logs were right after a short drop so you could get some speed into them.  Just like last week at Sunrise it was a difference maker if you could bunny hop them.  On the first lap, when we were more congested, I think I passed 3 people.  On each of the 4 laps I think I passed someone.
Following the logs and barriers there were some off camber u-turns.  Not as sharp as last week so I was able to manage them without getting off the bike and without falling.  A number of people hit the ground trying to keep up the speed.  I usually fall here every year but took it nice and slow which is faster than falling (imagine that).
Earlier in the week there was some rain but the course was pretty dry on Sunday.  A tall grass prairie section with innumerable turns was very ridable.  I only made one mistake where I overcooked a corner on the 3rd lap.  A guy was on my tail and I felt the pressure to keep up the speed and forgot the exit angle of the turn.  Luckily, I was able to almost keep riding through the grass to get back on the course.  A couple of one-footed pushes did the trick.  I apologized to the guy but he said he overcooked it too.  
There are a couple of short woods sections at the park and the question each year is whether we will go up the section with railroad ties or down.  Much easier (and more fun) to go down.  This year was a Down year.  

Brad Green Photography
For me this year it all came down to the last lap.  As I slowly made my way up the hill for the last time I was passed by a big Cat 2 guy.  But as we approached the logs I think he decided to have a picnic as he dismounted.  I hopped the logs and got past him.  My goal now was to keep him behind me.  To my surprise he didn't try and pass me after we left the pinwheel section and transitioned to the tall grass.  Right after we entered the tall grass he slipped and crashed in a corner.  That was the 5 seconds I needed.  So I put a little more power down and made sure to keep upright.  After the woods sections there were a few long straights and then the line.  I put as much power down as I could without blowing up.  In the middle of the second straight I peeked back and he wasn't in site.
Let's return to the first line of this post.
Shame on me!
I saw a couple kids handing up twizzlers and grabbed for one (I couldn't feel it in my glove so accidentally dropped it).
Then Fran told to to finish it off.  The big guy still wasn't in site.
Then this happened...

BG Photography
Unlike last week where I lost by a couple inches this time I think it was a full half a bike (if not more).  Kenny was on the microphone and was nice enough to say he thought I was able to hold him off.  I didn't.  (Kenny is in the brown vest on the right up above).
Nothing angers you more than being stupid.  I was pretty angry after this race.  Let's not forget this was a race for 25th place and relatively meaningless.  But we race for a reason.  We are competitive.
Maybe one day I will learn my lesson.  Last year when I won my sprint at Nationals I came from behind.  Someone needs to teach me how to win from the front.
I finished 26th out of 59.  Again in the top half of the field which is a big deal for me.  Out of the 24 Cat 4 racers I was 5th.  Not too bad.
Next week is the state championships in Woodstock.