Cannondaleriders

Round 4 of the New Mexico Desert Race was held in Espanola, NM. Here is a pic of our camp.

We were lined up 4-5 at a time with a 1 minute gap between each group.

With a five second count down, the flag dropped and somehow the raptor got a jump on me. I stayed right on him thru the sand wash but never had a wide enough opening to pass.

As the sand wash ended, the first turn to the hills came and I over shot it. A predator ended up passing me and I stayed behind him. We both were pushing it pretty hard because both of us were almost out of controll. I decided to simmer down and run my own pace. No reason to wreck so soon in the race. Started seeing the goup that took off before me and passed a couple and went over a hill and these woops came and I barely hanged on. After awhile I entered the hardest part of the course. It sucked. Its was a arroyo the was just wide enough to fit a quad in and had 8' walls on both sides.

It was a 1st and 2nd gear trail that had rocks and hills. If you stalled or someone in front of you stalled, you are screwed becuase there is no way around. Made it thru. Only stalled 3 times. Finally came out of that and had some room to open her up. Came up on this ridge to a check mark and had to go down it. Steep as **** and cliffs on both sides. Once you get down it you head to a sand wash that you can haul it. Passed another guy right before you head up a ridge trail and then into some woods. The woods was fun because it was down hill and most of the time all you needed was breaks.

Out of the woods and back on a sand wash. For the pre-ride the sand wash was smooth and you could be in 4th and 5th. Now the sand wash was full of breaking bumps way before the turns so it wasn't as fast. Finished one lap and headed for the second.

My goal for the second lap was to ride without making time consuming mistakes and I did that. By the second lap, quads were broken or off the side of hills. At one of the breaking bumps I felt a blister tear and man it hurt. Almost to the finish line my team mate that started behind be passes me and that light a fire under my a$$. We hauled it and passed anther rider and the last turn and I couldn't pass. The race was a total of 42 *** beating miles.

One thing I love about my Cannondale is that I never have to refuel between laps. I know I could get 1 more or even 2 more laps without refueling. To bad I had to still pass thru pit row on first gear. Here is a pic of me with my #1 fan (only fan).

I added up the miles between the four races so far and have went 279 trouble free racing miles.
:head: (knock on wood)

Great report How did you do?:usa :wow :head: