Most people wouldn’t think of San Francisco as a place to have a bike race. A Cyclocross race, at that…but San Francisco (and the Bay area) is home to the Bay Area Super Prestige Cyclocross series, one of the biggest CX series in California. The second race, a night race, was at Sierra Point Park just outside of the city. I guess it would be kind of a curious thing, night racing, to someone unfamiliar to the sport, but what can I say? Cyclocross racers; we go bump in the night. It’s simply our nature.I was pretty stoked on BASP, and even though the competition’s stiff I was hoping for a top ten finish. The sun was setting while I was on the trainer, watching my brother’s race from the parking lot. He did awesome, getting 12th out of 100 Cat B men.
It was fully dark buy the time I lined up for the start with the Cat A, Master Cat A, and Cat B (me) women. The race officials had decided to start all 3 categories at once. Whose idea was that?! There would be over 100 racers in the start with a tight, sketchy turn just 100 yards ahead. I would be towards the back of the start, since I was cat B and because I didn’t have a call-up. I didn’t like the concept; I was used to being on the front two lines at every race.
When the starter blew the whistle, it was partially a mad dash for the hole-shot and partially everyone riding through the crowd like lost goats…the best (and nices
t) word for it would be… interesting. All at once, the top A racers were dukeing it out at the front of the race and us B’s were trying to figure out where the front of our race was.I decided to hold on to the wheel of one of the Sac CX regulars who I knew was around my speed. But this wasn’t the kind of course that complimented me. I’m more of a climber and descender, but this course was mostly flat and twisty with a few rises and drops.
By my 3rd lap, I knew I was still top ten but I was also off the podium by a few spots. I was in no-man’s land, with the next few riders a ways ahead but the riders after me also some ways off. But when I came through start/finish to start my final lap, I was getting tired. I heard 3 other riders coming up behind me, but I knew I didn’t have enough engine left to hold a g
ap. My only option was to stay with them and hope I could out-sprint them. When they caught up to me, I couldn’t hold on.I was only able to hold one of them off in a sprint finish for 8th place. I’m super stoked on getting that top ten, but one of the women I’ve raced with at Sac CX was 4th. The next BASP is this coming weekend, and I know that if I’m on my game I can place better.
I’m sure that night racing would seem a little strange to some people, but like I said: it’s what us Cyclocross racers do. So beware, the next time you go out in the dark…beware of the things that go bump in the night.
Keep chasing…