Ft. Yargo MTB Race Recap

Last year when I raced at Yargo I had an intestinal parasite and finished poorly so I was hoping to get a better result this time. We had a large field of single-speed racers and some very good competition. The Ft. Yargo course is really good for a single-speed and the promoters changed the course and left out most of the climbs. Each lap it was pretty easy until 1 mile from the finish where there were two climbing sections with switch backs and then an uphill section after that. From there it was pretty easy single-track to the end. The weather was cool and rainy for the most part and the course got a bit more slick as we raced.

Our start was good and I was in front with another rider and soon we had a gap. Michael Scholtz was the rider with me and he happens to be a very good cyclocross racer from North Carolina. I led most of the first lap and tried an attack through the climbs and had a nice gap on him. once we hit the single track near the start/finish he was back with me so I knew he was strong and there was no more point in attacking him. So, for most of the second lap he and I crusied around the course waiting to slug it out on the final set of climbs. He put me in difficulty on some of the flatter secitons because I was only using a 34x18 which spun me out and made it hard to keep up with his larger gear.

Once we got to the climbs, we both climbed the first switch back together and then back into the woods where I led. He took over on the second set of switch backs and laid into me pretty good. I had the tongue wagging up the climbs but was hanging on. Same through the uphill portion after that. We had another racer with us from a different category and he got between us. On the last little climb my handlebars snagged a tree and I went down. He had about 10 seconds on me now and I chased hard to catch him but ended up going down again on the slippery course. In the end he won by about 40 seconds.

It was the most I'd been tested in a single-speed race so far and the challenge was really fun. I was not dissapointed to be beaten by a cross racer either.