This past Monday Sadie, Scott and I got home from Super Tour Finals in Fort Kent, Maine. The races were held in a Tour-style competition. A couple things usually happen during a tour; first, there is usually no rest days in between races, as this is better for spectators but harder for racers to recover. Second thing that happens in Tour-style competition is that on the last day you do a handicap start. That means that they add the time back of your first two races and that’s what time you start at. For example I started the third day 3:03 back from the leader. These couple of changes make for a more friendly spectator event and also I find them pretty fun.
The first race was a 11km classic mass start over a pretty gentle course. We did 3 laps that went 2 or so kilometers up a gradual low incline hill and then turned around and came down. It was a hectic start; there where 100 guys trying to fight for position on a pretty narrow course. I managed to get through without falling, and after a lap in it started to spread out. I felt like I skied the last couple laps slowly picking guys off and managed to out sprint a someone right at the line to finish 32nd.
The second day was the classic sprint. It was on a fun course with a good size hill in the middle of it. The qualifier was held in the morning, still cold enough that the tracks where hard and fast. I had my usual pretty good qualifier, qualifying 21st, but knew where I could make some changes to make a fast performance in the rounds. There were three or four hours before the rounds so I got a chance to relax and shortly talk to Torin Koos, US Ski Team athlete, and get pumped for my race. I was in a heat with Andy Newell, a US Ski Team athlete and Ivan Babikov, Canadian National Team athlete, along with three other guys. I had a great start and got into 3rd position. Before long I had made my position up into second behind Newell before the downhill corner. I was feeling good and knew if I could stay in position around this corner I would have a good chance at moving on into the semi finals. Babikov was slowly gaining on me from behind. I took the corner pretty sharp cutting Babikov off a little and just as we made it around the corner and I thought I had made it, Babikov falls over beside me and we get tangled up. I got up as fast as I could and to try and catch back up to the group, but I had lost too much time in the fall. That’s how heats sometime go; it was a little unfortunate but I was happy with how I felt.
(Trying to get untangled)
The third race was the hill climb, the one I was looking forward to the least. I had an alright race, but it was a tough course. It did 3 km on a rolling course and then up a downhill area finishing with a kilometer or two.
I ended the week in 37th overall. It was one of the best sets of races I had this season although the results might not show it. Now it's time to relax for a bit and get excited to start a new year of training!
I ended the week in 37th overall. It was one of the best sets of races I had this season although the results might not show it. Now it's time to relax for a bit and get excited to start a new year of training!
