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The FREE CROSS CLINIC had 5 participants, all of whom got a taste in the
races later in the day. We shall see if any improve in technique from this race to the
next on January 15, 2000.
Each winner got a Thanksgiving Turkey Gift Certificate, provided by Marsh Supermarkets,
along with any category prizes.The fields may have been thin, but the racing was hard.
The short course is set on a loop in a lightly wooded community park. It works out well,
as the park has good parking, bathrooms, picnic table shelters for registration and
results.
The "A" Race was "A 60 minute Game-On" from the start with
Mongoose-Saturn rider Kurt Genshiemer putting the early hammer down, just off his podium
finish the week before at Chicago Super Cup race in the Under 23's. Commented Gensheimer
after the race, "Yeah, Chicago was so fast -- both in the feature and the U-23, so I
feared it would be the same here, I just went to it from the start, it helped get my
tempo. I like it here[Cool Creek] with the rolling hills and slalom to the finish."
It seemed that the quick pace was separating the group, but Steve Meek of Tortuga would
not let the gap open to far. Meek would gain on the rolling open sections of the course
pushing a huge gear, making up ground on Gensheimer, but the Mongoose rider would pull
away again on the technical and barricade sections. Gensheimer, with Indiana University
Little 500 race experience, had super smooth and fast transition over the barriers, and
actually gained time over slower, lesser practiced field. He was a sight to see.
The "B" was a real 45 minute battle for the turkey prize. Luke Landis of Indiana
Flyers and Kris Anderson of the Indiana Hand Center Team traded the lead 3 times before
getting the win from Landis. Landis dropped a chain early on and that let Anderson gain
back ground to make a hard charge to catch and move to the lead. Landis countered and
retook the lead. It was cat-and-mouse the whole way until the last 3 laps when Landis
appeared to give the effort to seal victory. With Anderson quickly gaining ground at the
end, Damianos Toskos came charging up from behind and kept to running to the line throught
the slalom turns after the last bariier to the line, not able to get past the bike throw
from Kris Anderson. Third place had been a tight race between Toskos and Jim Kirkham of
the Cutters, until the last 2 laps when Toskos seemed to keep up the tempo and Kirkham
lost some steam and faded from hope of catching back up.
The "C" Race was the closest finish of all the races on the day with less than a
bike length separating 1st and 2nd place. After 30 minutes of racing, Broc Edwards just
edged through the final turn and to the finish line over John Gleason. Mike Moles and Tom
Mundt suffered off the winning pace but were within sight of each other at the end. The
two finishing 3rd and fourth respectively, are poised to take victory after some practice
on the barrier dismount and remount technique. They didn't really loose ground until
letting the winner get away in the barriers, and then enough distance meant "outta
sight - outta mind".
The day was safe and uneventful with no accidents to report. The weather was partly sunny
with little wind and a temperature of mid 50's (F). |
