Sisters Stampede

Last day in Oregon....Wayne, a friend of my brother Gary who used to live in Oregon, put the bug in our ear about doing this race. It was the perfect end to the trip, thanks Wayne. (who also raced and finished 4th CAT 1 50+)

A 25 mile or so out and back....not a bunch of laps. Looked like there was some great scenery, but to be honest, I didn't spend a lot of time looking around at it!

Chris before the race.

Chris and I had a fun time...well, mostly fun....read on.
Pre-race:

 Then the dude came by who would be starting some of the waves so got some pics with him and his charge.

 About 4 miles into the 25 mile race on the only real "road" section, a guy came up behind me and with 8 feet to spare clipped my bars and caused me to go down sliding across the rocks at 16-17 mph. First time in any race I've been in that this has happened.

I was really pissed. Not so much that I went down, I can fully understand how that can happen in a race, especially in the beginning when it's congested or in a tight section of singletrack when things get backed up, but not on a stretch of wide open rode.
I got up and yelled at him for being a f*@kin' a**hole and what the hell was he doing, he had the whole freakin' road to pass me!!
In any case, I got back on and took off. It took me a few minutes to cool down and I started ticking off some riders I had previously passed and tried to get more before the singletrack as we were told it would be hard to pass anyone once we got in the tight stuff.
Things were going well and the knee and fingers bleeding and stinging took my mind off of my right shin that was still giving me some issues from the past week...still not sure what happened but some kind of tendonitis, I think. Maybe from overriding?
So, we come around a corner and hit a steep road uphill and about 3/4 of the way up I go to my granny gear. After cresting the hill I try to hit the middle chain ring and nothing...it won't shift far enough to switch over. I try to scrap it across with my foot as I'm riding to get it to slide over but I can't get it to move. A causality of the sliding in the rocks when I went down I assume.

I gear up to the highest cog in the rear and keep on. I figure if I have to get off the bike for any other reason I'd try to get the front to the middle ring but it's balls to the wall from here on in, about 17-18 miles or so mostly on downhill swooping singletrack but enough twisty flat sections and some uphills to keep it honest.

I knew there was a mile or two at the end on doubletrack so I wanted to make my move and gain as much time in the technical sections. I just spun my ass off in the lower than perfect gear and never got passed but still managed to pass many before it was over, never getting more than a few yards behind the guy I was chasing from about the 18 mile mark on as we both passed and weaved around many riders.

I finished up, went and got my "free beer" ticket from one of the race sponsors plus money to buy another to then make my way to the first aid station to get the Cascade dirt cleaned out of my knee using the suds as a little anesthesia.
On me way to the tap I recognised the "kit" that Wayne told me he would be wearing so we got to meet and discuss the race and a few other topics as Chris walked up.
After that I got my brews and went to visit the aid station.

Post race. The local club in Madison, WI ordered the GO WEST shirt from Club Ride. Was very comfortable and about the best venue I could have ever asked for to wear it. Very nice shirt.

Fun time for sure!

Now this is how you start a mtn. bike race!!

Start and Finish.

Race results and gps info. I'm almost positive the calorie counter is off...