Can you believe it’s the last race of the series already, and we’re coming full circle, returning to the Andy Ballard Equestrian Center in Draper (site of race #1 of the series) for the last race.

The conditions ought to be much nicer (which will really irk the A-Train) than the first race of the season; clear, sunny, and cold, with highs in the upper 40s.

For my sake, I hope Matt makes the lap longer than it was in the first race; since with nice conditions, the lap times should be short and quick; which means lots and lots and lots of laps for you kids who are actually racing, while I sit in my nice (well, as nice as a 13-year old POS can be), warm Trooper on the finish line with my clipboard.

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Categories/Times:

1:30 PM (60 Minutes)

• Men A (Pro, Semi-pro, Expert, Cat 1, Cat 2,)
• Masters Men A 35+ (Fast Old Guys [as opposed to Fat Old Guys, like Flahute]. You know who you are, and so do we. You have been racing your bike for years!)

12:30 PM (45 Minutes)

• Women A
• Masters Men B 35+
• Single Speed (do we need to explain?)

11:45 AM (20 minutes) - ONLY $8.00!!!

• Women C (First Season Cross Racers)
• Junior Men 10-14 *
• Junior Women 10-14 *
• Junior 9 & under

10:45 AM (45 Minutes)

• Men B
• Master Men 45+ Open

9:30 AM (40 Minutes)

Back to Wheeler Farm this morning … and I can’t believe it’s the second-last race of the season.

The weather is supposed to be overcast and cool, with temps in the low-to-mid 40s. We got a little bit of rain in the valley the past couple of days which should make the course nice and tacky, without a significant amount of mud. I’m predicting fast times, so hopefully we’ll have another stupid-long course.

Sly should be out there handing out the bills … he says he found $825 in his bag that he didn’t know he had, so there will be lots of cash to go around.

Categories/Times:

1:30 PM (60 Minutes)

• Men A (Pro, Semi-pro, Expert, Cat 1, Cat 2,)
• Masters Men A 35+ (Fast Old Guys [as opposed to Fat Old Guys, like Flahute]. You know who you are, and so do we. You have been racing your bike for years!)

12:30 PM (45 Minutes)

• Women A
• Masters Men B 35+
• Single Speed (do we need to explain?)

11:45 AM (20 minutes) - ONLY $8.00!!!

• Women C (First Season Cross Racers)
• Junior Men 10-14 *
• Junior Women 10-14 *
• Junior 9 & under

10:45 AM (45 Minutes)

• Men B
• Master Men 45+ Open

9:30 AM (40 Minutes)

Not really, because I can’t remember who won most of the races, but I would be seriously remiss if I didn’t immediately give major props to Eric Rasmussen for winning the state championship in the singlespeed category (in his first SS appearance this season), and then immediately turning in an amazing second place finish behind Idaho’s Sam Krieg in the men’s “A” race to take a second state championship on the day.

That’s pretty freakin’ impressive. Good job, Rico. With Bart Gillespie racing in North Carolina this weekend, the state championship for the Men’s “A” group was wide open, and Rico proved he was strongest on the day. I think this is worthy of sainthood in The Church of the Big Ring.

Props to everyone that turned out for a beautiful day in Ogden to race; especially to Reed Wycoff who kept it going after two hard crashes (one with Connor O’Leary on the pavement, the second over the barriers).

And major bummer to Ali Goulet, who broke his frame … I’m humming Taps right now; because I hate to see any bike die.

Props also to Art O’Connor and Matt Ohran for turning in a fine MonaVie 1-2 finish in the Men’s 35+ “A” field.

Darren Cottle took the men’s 45+ open race, while simultaneously his son Tanner was battling it out with Tyler Fought for the Men’s “B” championship, just missing out on the Cottle double-play by finishing second.

I love seeing how many women are coming out to race this year as well. Trish Glenn, who won the Women’s “C” race, Meaghan Cunningham takes the “B” race. The winner of the women’s “A” race is from Idaho, so I’m not sure if second-placed rider #98 (whose name I don’t have), or third-placed Chantal Thackeray takes the state championship.

Perennial fighter Jennie Wade put in a strong start to the Women’s “A” race as well until an ill-timed mechanical took her out of the running.

Missing in action were Marit Fischer, who is currently racing Ironman Arizona; Dayna Deuter, who is nursing a hamstring injury, and Theresa Carr, who is battling the phlegm gremlins. We missed all of you yesterday.

Nasty conditions at Wheeler Farm for Utah Cyclocross Series Race #10? Check.

Significant snowfall in the mountains; allowing for decent skiing on Sunday? Check.

Am I a freak for enjoying really bad weather?

National Weather Service Watch Warning Advisory Summary
533 AM MST SUN NOV 23 2008

…CHANGE IN THE WEATHER EXPECTED FOR THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY…

A COLD UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL DEVELOP OVER THE EASTERN PACIFIC EARLY IN THE COMING WEEK. THIS LOW WILL REACH THE CALIFORNIA COAST LATE TUESDAY…THEN MOVE EAST ACROSS THE SOUTHERN GREAT BASIN LATE WEDNESDAY THROUGH THANKSGIVING DAY.

THE CURRENT FORECAST TRACK OF THIS STORM WOULD BRING WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION TO UTAH…WITH THE HEAVIEST AMOUNTS ACROSS THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE STATE.

LIGHT VALLEY RAIN AND HIGH ELEVATION SNOW WILL BEGIN WELL AHEAD OF THE STORM LATE TUESDAY THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY. HEAVIER PRECIPITATION WILL DEVELOP LATE WEDNESDAY … AND CONTINUE INTO THANKSGIVING DAY.

PRECIPITATION WILL REMAIN MOSTLY AS RAIN IN THE LOWER VALLEYS WITH THE MOUNTAINS SEEING SNOW THROUGH THE ENTIRE EVENT. SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALLS ARE POSSIBLE AT THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL UTAH THROUGH THURSDAY.

THE VALLEY RAINS COULD MIX WITH OR CHANGE OVER TO SNOW LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT OR EARLY THURSDAY. SOME VALLEY ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL UTAH. THE NORTHERN UTAH VALLEYS MAY ALSO SEE RAIN CHANGE TO SNOW … BUT SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS ARE NOT ANTICIPATED.

Bring on the snow, baby!

For race #9, the Utah Cyclocross Series will be heading back to the Weber County Fairgrounds.

As last time, the course should be dry and bumpy, dusty and sandy, lots of grass (but not long soft grass like at Hunter Park for the Cutthroat Cross), logs and various other technical challenges. Hopefully a longer course than the last time up there to help with scoring, especially if we have as many participants as this past Saturday at Wheeler Farm.

Categories/Times:

1:30 PM (60 Minutes)

• Men A (Pro, Semi-pro, Expert, Cat 1, Cat 2,)
• Masters Men A 35+ (Fast Old Guys [as opposed to Fat Old Guys, like Flahute]. You know who you are, and so do we. You have been racing your bike for years!)

12:30 PM (45 Minutes)

• Women A
• Masters Men B 35+
• Single Speed (do we need to explain?)

11:45 AM (20 minutes) - ONLY $8.00!!!

• Women C (First Season Cross Racers)
• Junior Men 10-14 *
• Junior Women 10-14 *
• Junior 9 & under

* We found that Junior riders aged 15-18 would rather try and beat up on Mom and Dad!!!

10:45 AM (45 Minutes)

• Men B
• Master Men 45+ Open

9:30 AM (40 Minutes)

• Men C (First Timers, Entry Level Racers, Cat 5, Beginner)
• Master 55+ Open
• Women B (Beginner, Cat 4, Cat 5)

Cutthroat Cross "C" Flight, originally uploaded by skern1.

Look at that Fat Boy go! Run, Fat Boy, Run!

That course was freakin’ brutal.

Got second in my category, and fifth overall in my field. We won’t discuss how many riders there were in my field, nor their ages and gender, but there were more than a mere five riders.

Somehow, I actually look like I’m enjoying myself:

How many laps to go? Oh, only one?

And the obligatory glamour shot:

Photos by Mama T.