Epic Racing around the World

Some are more betterer than others.

Sue had a great weekend…held her ground in the XC and in exciting news, is a hair away from making the final selection in the STXC. Short track racing is a battle. There’s little to zero pacing involved - its full gas, all the time. Because of this, tactics, instincts, and positioning become the difference between winning, losing, and finishing 8th. Tiny moments of hesitation or aggression can come back to haunt you…and what works last week might not work next week. Or maybe they do work. Either way, it makes for a good show, and bodes well for Sue’s cyclocross season.

On the flip side, after a solid XC placing on Saturday by Alders, STXC is a tough go for most guys. The younger you are, and the less consistent your results, the tougher your day will be in STXC.

Short track success is made far more obtainable by having a solid start position. From the front you at least the position is yours to lose, rather than having to gain time on the leaders from 5 rows back! But…such is the nature of the game. It takes massive and instant horsepower, aggressive positioning and maneuvering, and cojones. Not to say Mitchell or Bryan didn’t have these attributes on Sunday…but you either have a great STXC, or you don’t. There is no middle ground.

XC allows you to find your race…STXC demands you have instantly.

I altered this photo, obviously. Thin and Thinner, the Peterson brothers, couldn’t find the proper color thongs for their day cheering in the feed zone. If they’d have given me a heads up, I have a great purple T-back with sequins I’d have been more than happy to loan out.