It was a good day.

Golden Gate Park, the venue for Pilarcitos #4, was incredible yesterday. The conditions were perfect for a super-fast, super-fun race. With Rachel up north at the USGP races, I was looking forward to a possible win. Stella and I sized up the competition and decided HRS-Rock Lobster could potentially dominate and claim the top 2 spots on the podium. That's exactly what we did.

I had a great start today. It was a long pavement straight, slightly uphill, leading up to a sharp right hand turn into the forest. I felt like a sling shot off the line, got into my pedals immediately and stood up to sprint. Immediately, I had a gap on everyone. I was so pumped! Almost immediately after the start, there was that uphill section covered in tree roots (where the guys in jumper-suits usually stand). I knew it was crucial to get to this point first to have my own line up the climb and avoid any bobblers. After the crest of that climb, I never really saw anyone again. I was able to ride the entire race off the front, picking my own lines and settling into a manageable pace. Stella was always close behind me though, never more than 30 seconds back.





The course was sticky-smooth and mostly a power course. There were lots of technical sections, but I had arrived so early that I was able to ride the course about 10 times before the race. I had it all mapped out in my head, which made my race seem so much easier. I had picked all the good lines, with the help of my teammates Rob and Stella, and I knew exactly when and where to be shifting. There were barriers evenly dispersed throughout the course, which always kept you on your toes.



The Pilarcitos crew did a great job setting up the course and the conditions were just perfect. Ryan Bontrager, as always, provided the best mechanical support and awesome cheering. He actually trued my wheel minutes before the start of the race, resolving all my worries and making my bike work perfectly the entire race. Thanks Ryan. And to Aaron for helping me in my desperate search for my nosering. I never did find it, but thanks for your help. -