Justin and I made the journey to Bear Creek Mountain Resort near Allentown, PA to contest the Mountain Bike National Championships for XC and short track. I was focused on trying to repeat my title from 2022 in the 50-54 age group and Justin hoped to get inside the top 10 in the U23 races.
Thursday, Men’s 50-54 XC – Chris
I had scouted out the course on Wednesday and tried to find the fastest lines through the roots and rocks that clogged up many of the single track sections. There were also some fire road climbing sections and an off-camber grass descent to the finish line that meant however led into this section could not be overtaken. There was also a separate start loop with a couple of grass climbs and a fun berm section that broke up the group before we entered the woods.
My 4th place finish from last year meant that I had a prime spot on the front row and I had a decent start and was able to enter the woods in 6th place. Midway through the first of three laps I had moved up into 3rd and was intent on catching the leaders who were still in sight. But in the remaining two and half laps the rocks and roots slowed my pace and I ultimately ended up in 5th. It was a still a podium finish but not what I had hoped for so I’ll have to brush up on my east coast technical skills since nationals is moving to Virginia for the next two years….
Saturday, U23 XCO – Justin
On Saturday I lined up on the second row of a stacked U23 field with 50 other racers. The course layout was changed to include a start loop this year, which was critical for positioning before the entrance to the singletrack. The start straight was an uphill grass climb, which made for a very hard effort right from the whistle. I sprinted as hard as I could for almost a minute, and was barely able to recover. However, the effort was worth it to hold my position around 15th going into the first lap. I kept the lead group in sight all the way up the long climb, but trailed off the back to keep my effort consistent while the leaders surged and fought for position. I caught back on at the top, and passed a couple riders so I had a clear line down the downhill. The descent was a long rock garden, and it was a challenge to cary momentum by hopping between the rocks. As a result, it was much better for me to lead and choose my own lines rather than blindly following the rider in front of me and risking a flat tire. While the leaders slowly rode away, the other riders started to fall off of the pace. I motivated myself to dig deep on the climbs and catch riders before the top so I could lead the descents and draft on the flats. I passed one or two riders each lap, and before I knew it I was inside the top 10. My friend Dan was also having a great race, and we had a last lap battle. I fought hard to stay with him on the climb and attacked before the descent, was so fatigued that I could barely descend and he caught me. It came down to a sprint up the final steep climb, and he came around me just before the top. I cruised down the last downhill, careful not to make any mistakes, and came across the finish line in 7th!
Sunday, U23 XCC – Justin
A day later we went again for the U23 short track race. Although it was good for me to prioritize the xc race, my legs were very tired after leaving it all out there the day before. Luckily I have been training for these back to back hard days, and my legs came around after a good warm-up. The start loop was the same as the day before, and I knew it would determine the rest of the race. I lined up on the second row behind one of the known fast starters. Sure enough I had a great start and sprinted all out to stay up in the front. I came around the start lap in 10th and barely made the split. I sat on the back of the lead group, drafting on the flats and sprinting up the climbs to stay on. Even though the pace continued to surge, I found it easier to stay with the group and recover between the full gas efforts. This was my first time racing at the front of a short track and I wasn’t sure how long I could last so I decided to race conservatively. However, I managed to hold on all the way until the last lap despite the fast attacks. In retrospect I could have been even more aggressive, but I continued to follow the surges until the lead group split on the last lap. The top five rode away, but I had a good fight with the chasers to finish 7th again!
I am proud of my races this weekend to achieve these results! Not only did I finish in the top 10 in the U23s, but I was even closer to the top 5 and had comparable lap times to the elites. After struggling with the altitude and mechanicals the last few years, these are my first good results at nationals, and it means a lot to me. Thank you to my parents, coach, and team for supporting me in all of my racing experiences over the past few years. I am looking forward to seeing what I can achieve in my last year as a U23 next season!
Sunday, Men’s 40+ Short Track – Chris
The short track races are only twenty minutes long so the effort is quite intense with lots of short bursts of speed. The longer climb of last year’s course had been replaced by a couple of shorter climbs and a woods section with more roots and rocks was also a new addition. My course recon on Saturday night had gone well and the course was fun even if it did not suit my strengths.
This race is not split up in five year age increments so we had a fast group open to all riders over forty. I had a front row start again thanks to my 3rd place finish last year, but I lost spots in the opening sprint and entered the woods in about twelfth. I started to pick off riders and towed a small group for a lap or so in an attempt to get up to the next small group which was racing for fifth which was the final spot on the podium. But we were not able to get up to those riders and I had to settle for 9th. More short sprint interval work will be needed for next year!
