MASS #2: Granogue

At Granogue, the Rutgers University Cycling Team represented again.

In the sport senior I category, AngryMark had a great start... but he was seen as too much of a threat by a disrespectful competitor that decided to run him off the course. Mark pressed on, passed the guy that ran him off course and got back into the mix. Unfortunately, this wasn't the best day for his allergies, and he had to withdraw halfway through the race. Mark hopes to rest up and be at full strength for a big weekend of road criteriums starting on Friday(?).

Jay and Don battled it out in the sport singlespeed open category. Don launched massive missiles of fitness at the race course to fly up the hills and across the fields. Jay used his mastery of singletrack and descents to conserve his energy for the final meters. Their skills propelled then to 6th and 7th place finishes, but which of the diverse strengths won out?... This week, Jay's skills saved him enough energy to best out Don in the last minutes of the race. Jay celebrated with the LZB (Look, Zip, Ballin' - Dave Kim 2007) taunt as he approached the line.

In the expert senior category, I wanted to prove that hanging in 9th or 10th for most of the French Creek race and finishing 14th (after falling apart), was not a fluke. After a painful first lap (really, is starting that fast necessary?), I found my flow and started to eat through the competition. Lap two was nearly flawless and I was feeling great. During the third lap, I could feel the end of my legs coming, but I carefully measured my efforts to continue gaining on the competition without blowing up. In the end... Granogue was my first top ten finish in the expert category! (Barely, I finished 10th) This would not have been possible without my awesome teammates that cheered me on at no less than three places on the course per lap and fed me with a constant supply of energy drink under the hot sun. The high fives exchanged on the finishing straight went two ways: them congratulating me for turning myself inside-out for a great result and me thanking them for motivating and supporting me to continue at that pace. Thanks guys!!!