The Fontana venue was in better than ever condition for the ProXCT this year since the trails received rain earlier in the week. What is traditionally been one of the dustiest, rutted out courses was instead a smooth, flowing course with plenty of tacky singletrack to be enjoyed. We made the drive from Tucson on Friday morning and had plenty of time for an afternoon pre-ride of the course.
After a good finish as Bonelli it was nice to be rewarded with a second row call up position. The course snakes through some tight corners and quickly gets narrow so the call up really helped to alleviate a lot of stress. I was able to focus on my effort rather than spending energy to pass riders. For much of the race I was able to go back and forth with guys who eventually wound up placing 14th-18th on the day. I was 17th once again and happy with how things had turned out. It was a very competitive field out there and I felt good on the bike from start to finish.
The course featured an extended climb shortly after the start that took us further up the steep hill than we had gone in previous years. This meant more fun and flowing singletrack on the decent before resume the layout used in previous years. I really like the longer climb even though it was pure suffering up it each lap. It seems as though everyone was in their easiest gearing, simply trying to make it up successfully each lap – it was that steep! The combination of steep climbing and tight singletrack made for a perfect course for the Top Fuel. I was very much able to maneuver the bike quickly and had a blast ripping around the course. Once again the tubular tires were fantastic and highlighted the active suspension feel since they are so supple over the rough stuff. It’s impossible to corner them without smiling too. Dave from www.Trailwatch.net happened to capture the action with this shot as posted on www.cyclingnews.com
After a strong XC on Saturday it was Chloe’s race that highlighted the action on Sunday with her win in the short track. She’s been close to making the front group of the STXC races so many times that it wasn’t a surprise to see her in the mix, but it was nerve wracking to watch. She did a great job with the tactics and was able to make the most of it by snagging the win after making the right attack with a half lap to go – nothing short of incredible! It was awesome to be there for the finish and to see it in person. These are the moments that we all train so hard for… It was a huge breakthrough for her and I couldn’t be more proud. Colt was there for the CyclingDirt.org coverage so be sure to check out the videos if you haven’t already seen them.
Race footage of Chloe’s win (sprint included!)
Post race interview with Chloe
Sea Otter will be the next race weekend and with three weeks between, it’ll be a great opportunity to put in some fun rides and great training. More to come,
-TJ