Cross Worlds Y3 Report #1

Wendy Simms Reporting

It was Friday the 13th but it looked like our 2005 CX Worlds trip was not going to start with any bad mojo. There was no fog so we could fly out of Nanaimo and make our connection in Vancouver (unlike 2003) AND, better yet, the extra upgrade coupon that Peter Reid had given us worked like a charm so we were being served wine and cheese while those at our regular seats in the back had to buy crappy pre-made sandwiches for $10. SWEET! We watched movies, ate lots of yummy food and then stretched out our legs for a snooze. That is not to say that we slept much but it was a helluv a lot better than trying to keep the head upright using a blow up pillow. We were woken an hour before our flight landed with orange juice and a smile. I guess that is what the extra $3000 buys you in first class - expensive but if I had the $ I would do it every time.

Saturday the 14th was a little less smooth as our luggage did not arrive. I hacked my way through a french conversation to find out that it would not arrive until Sunday - would we like to leave our address so they could deliver it? Hmmmm lets see in 2003 Corey did not receive his bikes from Air Canada for 6 days so I think we will drive the extra 4 hours to come back and pick it up - merci. We drove north to our hotel and had a strong nap before we went to Lievin to register and walk the course. When we flew out Norm was bragging about how little carry on luggage he had, today he was pretty quiet as he had to borrow Barb Howe's (Velo Bella) salmon (read pink) coloured mini jacket and crazy tube with strings she called a toque. I think he will go back to max carry on luggage for our next trip. We set a goal of staying awake until 8pm and barely made it. Of course we cursed ourselves at 2am when we were wide awake but I am weak when it comes to sleep.

Sunday morning. Race day. But....we had to drive into Paris and pick up the bikes and luggage. I am not even going to try to describe the insane, inefficient baggage system they had at Charles de Gaulle airport but we got it all and arrived at the race course feeling a little frazzled. Norm got the bikes together in time for me to do a few laps of the course. It was mostly grass but pretty twisty and definitely hilly for a cross course. My Jake the Snake's felt great on the course and I thought my legs were OK but I hadn't done many hard efforts outside of my cheese sprints two days before in first class. The weather was perfect but for some reason I was freezing (my mom would say this is from lack of sleep). I had one of my WORST starts in history as I was still sitting on the start line at least a few seconds after the gun. In the end it didn't really matter because after the first corner onto dirt there was mass carnage and most of the girls that DID have a good start were on the ground or running. I managed to find a small gap in the bikes and bodies so I could ride the first hills. Ann Knapp (Kona) was right beside me. We pulled away from the pack but there was obviously a group that had gotten away off the front because they were rounding the next hill. Lyne Bessette (cyclocrossworld.com) was up there and I later found out Stacey Spencer (Symmetrics) had a great start and was up there too - go Canada! I tucked in behind Ann who races a LOT smarter than I ever do and tried to settle in. But it was pretty obvious who was stronger because I could not hold her wheel. Half a lap into the race and I was already going backwards. I was breathing heavy, I was suffering and I had another 37 minutes to go. Girls would pass me and I couldn't hold their wheel, even the Velo Bella girls (Barb Howe and Christine Vardaros) who were trying to lend me a wheel were too fast. The only positive part of the race was that I was riding technically well on my Jake the Snake. I limped in 27th over 5 minutes behind the leader hoping like hell it was the jet lag talking.

Thanks to everyone who helped me get here. Thanks to KONA for providing me with wicked bikes, Helly Hansen for keeping me warm and stylie, the Malaspina crew for covering me at work, Frontrunners for covering Norm, the Simms sponsorship program, and Norm for keeping me from getting too bummed about my first race.

Norm and Part 2 Soon.....