Among other awesome races by the team over the past few weeks, Linda Mattioni took 5th in the Women's 3/4 on Day 1 of Granogue Cross. In the money! (Or, in the free HEED and tires?) Here's her race report:
A repeat photo of Linda from Nittany Cross earlier this fall.
I started 4th or 5th row back next to Nathalie with Mountain Bike pro Kathleen Harding right behind me; her first cross race but she's a beast and I was scared. I'm still not sure how my race-self kicks in just yet, but the in first 20 feet I was kind of asleep and then...the switch flipped and I turned it on up the hill to blow past half the chicks in front of me before the hole shot. That stretch of asphalt with the strong tailwind felt like flying!!
Coming around the first twisty, rooty section Cati Scheifele (one of the chicks I always have my eye on to stay with/catch) went down and popped her knee right in front of me which made me slow down and almost cry thinking about it but I shook it out of me head and motored on because Kathleen had just past me and I wanted to crush her! I caught up to Kathleen on the next little bit of asphalt and passed her never to see her again. In my dreams it would have been because I'm super fast, in reality: Kathleen had major mechanicals.
I really, REALLY need to practice running up short hills. I would get to the top of the two run ups and stop...catch my breath...and sloooowly get back on my bike as one or two people passed me. I feel like people watching me are like WTF are you doing?? I would finally pass all of them again in the turns though. I cut it close the tape while they were taking it wide, it amazes me every time that they leave it open for me. I worked my way up to get behind Becca Schepps. I heard someone yell to her that she was in fifth. This verbal cue was crucial, because with all the 45+ women and the juniors, I never know where I'm at. I was like, well shit...I wanna be in fifth....so, I turned it up a notch and I passed her coming out of a turn. I tried to make a final move on the last climb up the asphalt to the finish but I couldn't grab anyone else. So in fifth I stayed.
