Reporting from Charlotte

I love airports with wireless. Another 6 hours in the terminal today should be a fun time.

Weekend was really fun, but we all had some bad luck.

We got to our place in Banner Elk at 9pm after picking our bikes up from Mines. Got everything ready, then hit the sack for a few hours of sleep. Up at 5am aka 3am CO time. Rode down to the LMC campus in the pitch black at 7am. Couldn't see crap until just before 8am. Raced at 8:15. 5 laps of a rocking XC course. No long climbs, but just a bunch of punchy stuff and a sweet decent. Lap 1 was blind since there was no pre-ride. The downhill was a hike-a-bike with all of the people. I broke the buckle/strap on my shoe. I had to pull out a multi-tool and try to fix it. Luckily I was able to get it to work and I was on my way a few minutes later. On lap 4 after passing a bunch of people and riding back into the top 15, I flatted at the bottom of the rock garden. I shot it with CO2, but it wouldn't hold. Took all of the air out and put a tube in. A million people passed me it seemed. I got going again and passed some people back on lap 5, but it didn't matter at that point.

Sunday was STXC. I rode the course right before the race and was worried. Thick peanut butter all the way up the climb, then a slip-slide back down. Racing Maxxis Larsen TT tires didn't work. The goal for most people was to try and pedal and move forward. It seemed I pedaled 10 miles and went 2. I don't know where I finished, but I only raced a bit of it. Mud tires would have worked much better, much less a CX bike.

Went and watched the rockin DH race in the afternoon. We had a good representation with Peter and Marshall hitting top 10. Saturday night was a good time and Sunday dual slalom looked way fun.

Back to DIA late tonight, then pack up bikes in Golden before driving back to Junction in the middle of the night.

Single Speed at 18Rd is calling me this week.

Late edit: Just saw the USGP Results. Wissink is a rockstar. Way to represent the MI Scene.