Despite shorter days and brutal weather, some Wooden Wheels
racers couldn’t let the last month of the year end without a few more races
under their tires. Heather Heinrich and
Andrew Webster headed to the Capital
`Cross Classic – the MABRA cross Series Championship at Lake Fairfax Park
in Reston, VA. The course featured a
solid mix of technical turns and climbing and the infamous Chute. Unfortunately, the southern charm was
quickly lost on our racers as they faced mechanical challenges throughout their
races. Heather, Cat 1/2/3 finished 10th
(12) after ripping off her derailleur and racing on a borrowed bike. Web, racing single speed open, finished 20th
(23) after dropping his chain multiple times throughout the race. Way to hang in there & finish!
The following Sunday, Wooden Wheels had a solid turn out for
the Limestone Cross at the Kiln, the final MAC event (Atlantic Regional
Championships) in Emmaus, PA. The muddy
conditions gave racers a flash back to the Stoudts race! Good thing our cross racers are mountain
bike racers too – who doesn’t like mud??
After the grassy start, there were serpentines through muddy grass
followed by an uphill wooded section after which came a sliding downhill on
foot then another long grassy muddy climb (where few made it on their bikes)
then back down a steep grassy hill where most racers bit it at some point! More serpentines by the pit, a few wooded
rocky sections, one set of barriers, a final short steep wooded climb that few
rode as the hecklers encouraged, and a couple bridges. All in all, one fun, diverse muddy
course! Needless to say, the post-race
clean-up was brutal…fortunately aided by a creek to splash off! Our racers proved again that Wooden Wheels
Racing is a tough group: Will Neide finished 12th (27) in Open
Single Speed and, of course one race isn’t enough for Will, he finished 34th
(48) in Cat 2/3/4. Andrew Webster
finished a solid 13th (48) in Cat 2/3/4. The women of Wooden Wheels
again proved strong: Emily White in Juniors U19 finished 5th, Cati
Scheifele 5th (23) in Cat 3/4 and Heather Heinrich 13th
(16) in Cat 1/2/3.
Sunday, December 16, brought the last race of the season for
our folks, the Ed Sander Memorial Cross at the Lilypons Water Gardens in
Adamstown, MD. The course winds around
the garden ponds (with the hopes that no racers end up in them!) on a mix of
pavement, grass and dirt. With the rain
holding off, our racers fought a tough race.
Andrew Webster wrapped up his 2012 with prize money and a free entry…8th
(16) in Cat 1/2/3. Awesome. Dennis Dischler, completing in a much larger
field than reported (57) finished 34th – despite starting in the
last row. Heather Heinrich, racing in
her 20th cross race of the season (YIKES!), finished 9th
(10) in Cat 1/2/3.
…and so Wooden Wheels Racing closes out another successful
year of racing! The team is ready for a
short winter’s nap and some recouping before ramping up the training for the
2013 season! Though I’m sure folks will
find races in January and February…the fun never ends.
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