Chase the Sun Round 3

The 3rd round of CTS this year started at the Comm Games staging area. I was racing with Gareth in the Male Pairs cat. The forecast was bad, but there was some hope the rain would hold off. Unfortunately, the rain came down about the time I rolled out for my first lap. Gareth had got us off to a good start and I had to maintain it no matter what the weather was doing. With little time for chit chat at transition, there is no time to discuss tactics or placings (or pulling out!), so in between laps it was a matter of washing and cleaning the drive train, drinking, eating and staying warm. It was freezing waiting to go out again on each lap.

We soon found out we were coming 3rd, very close to 2nd and the guys coming first had a good time gap over everyone. The guys coming 2nd were the same pair that we finished in front of in round 2, so as it turned out, it became a new dual with old friends!  Eventually, as the day wore on, and the track (fire road) became nearly unrideable in some parts, we reeled them in and overtook them to move into 2nd. I was pleased with how my Santa Cruz held up in the conditions, only losing braking ability with about 3ks to go after riding through a wheel swallowing pot hole at the start of the Blair Witch section.

If riding through those conditions were bad, surviving the presentations was even worse, with the organisors doing a great job of giving out the prizes in the middle of a torrential downpour.

Overall, it was great to podium (2nd) but it wasn't too good for the drivetrain and Jo had to wash my kit about 6 times to get it respectable again.

Results here: CTS3 Results