wors # 3

The big ring classic (Wausau) race number three in the WORS series.
I had my doubts going into this race based on the rain that George called for. But after pre riding Saturday with Nate and Jesse in the rain I felt better, the course wasn't in to bad of shape yet annnnd i was still holding out hope that it would stop raining before Sunday morning.
I woke up Sunday morning and jumped on the computer to check what it was doing in Wausau........NOT RAINING. Awesome I thought, so awesome that the fact that it was only 40 some degrees at the time really didn't bother be that much. Going into this race I knew the lead out would be fast and that part held true as we pushed up, down and around the double track leading to the first climb at which point I was following about seven guys. I passed a few of them before getting to the first single track section and a few more as I gunned it into the double track leading to ho chi min. By this time I wasn't seeing to many number plates with four numbers
(my competition) But I knew I had to keep pushing because one error on my part and they'd be right back at me. And that's just what happened towards the end of the first lap I was trying to make a corner and took the high side on a big wet root and went down hard. I got up only to find my chain had fallen off (story of my season) at least it didn't break. I put it back on but by this time a few people passed me and a few more were hot on my tail. I recovered and took back some of the ground I had lost in the crash. The second lap was not the greatest either I had some shifting problems going into the climbing section of the course and mid way up ho chi min i dropped my chain again and was forced to run up part of the devilish climb. At that point I felt like I was taking one step forward and two steps back. So the remainder of the race I tried to keep the gearing somewhere in the middle which made climbing harder and took some sap out of my legs but seemed to help keep the chain on. I ended up finishing 10th out of 84 and 2nd in my age group. Looking back I'm happy that I was able to finish a race but it just leaves me even more hungry for that oh so elusive perfect race....... Nordic?
After I got home i played around with my rear derailiour with little or no luck. It seems fine shifting up but dropping down gears It's a mess.
Back to the shop it goes.