CCCX XC #1 -By Mike Urbina

What a great day, the weather was perfect. You wouldn't think so by the way things looked when I left Morgan Hill, but as I made my way down 101 the fog amazingly lifted.
Since it was Valentines Day and only the first race of the series, I didn't expect a great turnout but I couldn't have been more wrong; it was the biggest one I've seen for this series.
Hell, I didn't decide to go until the day before.

Allan showed up as I was heading to registration. Nice of him to show up early to take pictures and cheer people on. His race didn't start til 1pm.
With registration out of the way I got suited up and unloaded my mountain bike which hadn't been ridden since last June...... at the CCCX finals last year...... Yea......
At the starting line I only see 2 guys I recognize from last year with all the rest being new guys. One of the new guys was wearing TWW shorts but I did not recognize him. I went over to introduce myself and he indentified himself only as "JL".
We were already a big group (21) and they added the 55+ guys with us as well. Off the start I'm near the back but I wasn't too concerned as I have no plans to set the world on fire today! We get about 2/3rds of the way to where we turn right onto the dirt and I see the pack starting to slow a bit so I break to the outside, out of the saddle. I get into the singletrack in about 5th position. A mile or so into it there's still alot of jockying going on and I somehow find myself in the lead. This isn't supposed to be happening and I seriously doubt I can hold on to it very long. I was correct. Over the next 2 laps some guys in my category came by me but I'm not getting totally dropped and we're having some good little battles. I keep count as they go by to see if I can stay in the top 5.
On lap 3 I'm in 6th place (at the time I thought I might be in 5th but no) and trying hard to reel some people in. I make up alot of time in the twisty berm sections (way fun) but I just don't have the goods to keep up on the climbs and I start to see them pull away.
Just after the start of the 4th and final lap 2 more guys get by me including JL. I see any chance for a podium completely dry up then!
Now my goal is to keep them in sight and maybe get them back. At that point I concentrated on being as smooth as I could with my cadence and keeping corner speed to a maximum. It works as I pass the first guy in front of me then I set my sights on JL. I catch and pass him on a long, exposed flat section and pull away. I was feeling pretty confident that I'd put him away but in another half mile he catches and passes me. Crap! As we drop down out of the singletrack onto the pavement before the last quarter mile to the finish, JL has about a 15 yard gap on me. I see Allan on the side of the course and he yells "Stand up Mike". With the last bit of gas I have I do just that and hammer out of the saddle, closing the gap as we make the left hander back into the dirt.
Thanks Allan.
Another short straightaway and we approach a 90 degree right hander that has 2 distinct lines. I'm sizing up JL waiting to see if he will take the inside or outside. He chooses the outside so I go inside braking ever so slightly so as to keep my corner speed up. I nail the turn and unfortunately for JL he goes slightly wide, allowing me to get by. I then give it all I've got to the finish and cross the line in 6th. After the finish line JL and I congratulated each other on a great battle. This is what racing is all about!!
I hung around to watch the start of Allan and Rich H's (Expert!) races and took a couple of pics. Kirsten McDaniel was also there and had a podium finish.
Great day, great weather, great racing, great to see everyone again. Time for me to get back in the saddle!
Mike U. 6/21 @1:32:15