AFTON ALPS

I went down to do the Afton Alps Race.  Got there a little early, so I pre-road the Sport course,

which was a good thing because there are three or four minor rock gardens you need to roll over with speed.  Again the start of my race (the over 40 crowd and I do mean a crowd) was bad. At the start of the single track everybody came to a complete stop, foot down, Stop!  Wait yer turn.  The single speeders are a problem because some of them are not geared low enough and

at the first hill they are off their bikes already making everybody dismount.  I believe Kyia calls this a "clusterfuck," her term not mine.  The SSers had problems with a lot of the sharp uphill turns.  Use a 32X20 guys!  Anyways, after avoiding a few crashes, I started on the second loop,

and lo and behold!  Bob Mueller off his bike!  I go past hoping he doesn't see me.  But no!  He is

after me, fierce competitor that he is.  I barely hold him off by going crazy and dangerous fast on the final bumpy descent, with the result that I flatted my rear tire, but I didn't know until after

I finished.  More bike damage.  I was riding the old hardtail Moots, since the Scapel has a blown

out fork, and I think maybe I wrecked the rear wheel.  Certainly the tire is toast.  The good news is that I won a cool Parks Pump for being first in my class!  

PS.  When I left Sara K=J was leading the elite women, and Brendan had a good lead in the expert men.