Race Report
Sonoma, CA
10-12-03

Do " U Billy "?

                       "Yea! I Billycross every weekend"! LOL   Saturday morning all packed up ready for TROGing at Billycross. This is a mini road trip from these parts Yahoo! I have been looking forward to this race for past month. Could not wait to put my two wheeler on the Billy dirt. Taking the scenic route via Hwy12 is nice way to go to see some pretty scenery not to mention lavish vineyard and homes along the way. Be aware this is the long slower route.

                         Arriving at the unmistakable huge round parking lot with you guess it, in the center the Outhouse in the middle of it's own circle. " Hey" George I know were the CAN is on this one LOL!. We pop out and the wind is blowing fiercely. OH? now what did we get ourselves into? Setting up camp was a little more of a challenge this time, but I did it and it was good. The plan to pre ride the Billy course. The weapon of choice a Tri-speed hard tail. I have been doing some drive train tweaking and wanted to test it and some directional tires I have on it also. Not even thru the first section and I look down and the chain is all mangled and twisted " dam" back to the drawing board for this project. So we head back and I mount my ever faithful Binford Bike. Binford has seen this course before and just ate it up and down. Ahhhh! this will be much faster I can feel it already. Curtis and I concurred. Never hurts to have a back up plan. A preride on this course is must even if you know it. Little changes to the course can literally make you eat dirt.

                        Night falls I hit the sack. A bit later I look up and a mysterious glow coming though the tent, "What the". I pop my head out to see what it is. A big light from a house of a far? NO, no house over there. A Helicopter coming with it's bright light? NO, no motor noise. A few minutes later the brightest full MOON pop up and just hovers over the Big circle for most of the night. The glow made everything look some shade of purple and blue. I could see everything clearly. No need for a flash light this time around, did not bring one any way. I see why some of the boys like to night ride with full moon and no lights, not here thou. Curtis and Carol head off for a night walk. Wonder were there going Hee!hee! lol! Ah! I need some sleep for tomorrows race.

                       Race day 7:30," Hey Curtis were everybody at"? Where's Ken and his crew? He will be here. 5 campers including us in the circle at this point. Before you know it the rattle of Ken's big diesel truck comes rolling in with his kids Kenny and Kelly to follow suite. Still a little susceptible if any racer are going to show up at this point. Little by little they trickle in. It was a soft showing for this type of venue. I have seen cars packed in the circle as if it was a used car sale or something. Hummm? Ok time to reg and get warmed up and lets do this thing. 1st lap I felt good and was ready for the 2nd. 2nd lap all warmed up and ready to tear ass and claim ever V pit and corner in site.3rd lap starting to feel it in the legs. 1/4 mile from finish or so I come across a Black full Carbon Fiber bike up side down with the back wheel off while rider is messing with the wheel, a flat tire I suppose. In to the Bush I go. Out of the bush I come. The same guy pushing his bike on the double track section, I say to him " NO Tubes "? He say's " No Co2 discharged accidentally"! I laugh to myself in side. I almost stopped to give him my pump just so he could finish and not get a DNF, and just give it back at the top when he finished. But I did NOT.

                       I felt bad for the guy in all. Then I thought some of these guys who want to use the latest gadget and save some weight are not really saving any thing at that point. Can not even save them selves. So I said screw it and figured he can learn the hard way not even having a spare Co2 if you think about it. Goof ball. What would YOU have done?? With finish line just ahead up two of the steepest hills I try and finish strong. I still feel good, but I think the legs are toast know. We get cleaned up a bit and head over to the patio picnic area with shade to eat grub. Laid out all the way across the table was all kinds of food. Big Salad bowl, chesse and cracker, cookies, chips, dips, Chile and some dish Ken wife make that taste sooo good can not hardly describe it to you, JUST gooood! uummm! A Full tube of dark beers and stuffed ice chest with sodas. At Billy Cross everybody get treated like king or queen. It is just a pleasant atmosphere, just have to be there to know. Finally riding for TROGS 1st place sport finisher is Joseph Cordova! what? me? I figured 12th or 13th, did not expect this at all. I am sooo happy to bring home the Gold one this time. Standards are getting set to height, how am I going to keep up with this all the time, and Curtis you guys know.

Joseph C.