Very un-seasonably warm weather and bone dry conditions are not my forte. Very strong field of guys including Shadd Smith (KCCX\Verge), Bill Stolt and Adam Mills (Both HRRC/ Trek Stores), and Cameron Chambers. The race kicked off with a frantic paved start to a sharp left onto the grass with the triple barrier right after that. KCCX was all over the front with Shadd Smith, Bill Marshall, William Gault and ChrisCross winner Mathew Ankney leading the charge. Bill Stolte, Adam Mills, and Cameron Chambers all made the initial front group. I got the good start and made the first selection but it pushed me too deep and I had to ease up. Once I got my breath I was able to start pulling guys back. Mathew Ankney and Adam Lang were the first guys I got around. Bill Marshall and a fading Bill Stolte were next. Bill was able to stay with me as I continued to hunt guys down in front. Brad Sullivan was next and he quickly got in behind me and Bill. I knew Bill was fading but he wasn't falling off either. I quickly attacked with a few laps to go trying to dislodge Brad and Bill but Bill stayed right with me. Coming into the bell lap, I knew I had been doing most of the work and Bill was fresh. We had brief words but just heat-of-the-moment race stuff. He's incredibly strong and pulling him around the course lap after lap was giving me some good PR but I knew he could easily drop me and he did. Hitting 1-to-go he got the gap on me and I just didn't have the snap. Ended up 5th which is still good considering the guys I finished ahead of. Brad Sullivan held off a hard charging Bill Marshall and William Gault while Steve Songer and Dave Hejduk (bothTeam X) rounded out the top 10. After the race Bill Stolte told me he felt bad for sitting on for so long, but it's all part of good racing. I knew he was back there and I could have forced the issue more but I didn't. Good hard racing is always good, no matter which end of the deal you fall into.
