Piney Hills Classic Stage MTB Race 2008

What a weekend! The weather was perfect, the trails were smooth! Note to self, if you ever go camping, make SURE you bring a sleeping bag, especially when it's 40 degrees at night in a tent!! LOL The first night in Ruston, LA at Lincoln Parish Park camping, all I had was a blanket...Man, I woke up with hypothermia almost! Lesson learned!

The Cat 2's (aka Sport) only raced the Time Trial and XC Race, why we didn't have a short track, I don't know...

I started to pre-ride the TT before my start and got stuck behind some slow guys and almost missed my TT start!! I was the next guy up when I showed up...The official was like, You almost missed your start...I said, nope, I'm here...

I finished 2nd in the TT, to a Nathan Skinner, I was like, who the heck is this guy??!

At the Start of the XC Race the next day I rolled up to the start and said, who's Nathan? They were like, we were saying the same about you, Ronnie! So I knew who Nathan was at the start...

The gun/whistle went off, I was the first one to the single track, with Nathan behind me. I pushed and drove as hard as I could for about 3/4 of the first lap, then I finally slowed up to let Nathan pass me, so I can see what this guy was made of. He was a better cornerer than I was, so I knew I had to keep him behind me at all times for the second lap.

When we rolled through the start for the start of the 2nd lap, people were saying we were up by 6.5 mins!! I was like...wow, is this course that difficult? Or are we just blazin'!!! Or we could just be a couple of sandbaggin' Roadies...hehe

We slowed up for the start of the 2nd lap and just talked for about 1/2 the lap...then we put the hammer down again. Nathan got in front of me about 3/4 of the way and was just killing me on the cornering, I thought I was done, but I wasn't giving up without a fight! Something happened with him and he almost endoed! (sigh of relief!) Thank you Pine needles!

We were about to approach the bat Cave and I passed him just before it. The climb was brutal!! I got over the top and put the hammer down and left him in the dust...He Cramped up on the Bat Cave climb and I beat him by 33 seconds...We beat the field by almost 6.5 mins!! Yup...Time for an upgrade...

Next up, Rocky Hill!! Nov 8th!

BTU Power Pedal Mountain Bike Race

This Mountain bike was in my town of College Station, aka Aggieland! Well, it was actually at Lake Bryan, but who cares! =)

I went up to Lake Bryan, Friday morning to pre-ride the course and I taco'd my front wheel in a sandtrap!! lol So that ended my precious little Pre-ride...That was 30 minutes in to the ride.

I went to the local bike shop and they said they couldn't fix it...Too bad for them, they will never get referrals from me...I went back to Houston and got my awesome mechanic Ira to fix it, He and I are the only two that can touch my bikes, unless I go pro =) He got the wheel all straightened out, or the best he could do...

RACE!

I stayed with lovely Family friends of mine, Kirk Pearcy and his wonderful wife Natalie. They took care of me like I was one of their own!

The race started around 11am...I started off 2nd in to the single track, then we hit the levy and I took off like a cannon!! No one wanted to go with me! I was 30 secs up on the group by the start of the next single track and I never saw the group again.

The course was very nice! I heard it rained the previous day, so that helped alot for all the sand that is usually there. I kept running in to the Single speeders and 2 of the guys wouldn't let me pass for like 5 mins...I got pissed after awhile!

I won by 3 minutes and got a bunch heckling from the Expert riders who knew me, they all wanted to me cat up...Not till I win the series guys!

Ruston Mountain Bike Race is next week.

Next time we'll try and get Albert Einstein!! (Harry Carey) So long!