2014 Flyover Silver Creek Cross

Don’t be fooled by the backdrop; this was not a WCA series race. (Jeff Wren photo)

The inaugural Flyover Silver Creek Cross race in Manitowoc was exactly what I thought it would be: a good opportunity to grab a USA Cycling upgrade point in a non-series event with a small turnout. I placed 3rd today in the 7-man Cat 4 Masters 45+ field. Thomas Clark (Heavy Pedal Velo) took the win, followed by Jeff Hatton (Titletown Flyers). Clark rode away easily after the first of three laps. Hatton and I battled throughout the entire race but no time ever seemed like the right time to pass him. If WCA series points had been at stake, then I might have been more aggressive. Under the circumstances, a lot of the fight went out of me when I knew I would finish in no worse than 3rd place.

I now have earned 8 upgrade points. The mandatory Cat 4-to-Cat 3 upgrade threshold is 15 points, and I could reach the voluntary upgrade threshold of 10 with my next race. There’s an unresolved question as to whether the 1 upgrade point I earned in 2013 can be applied this year, but that’s probably a moot point. I will have some discretion when it comes to the timing of the upgrade and it might not make sense to do it at the first opportunity. Ideally I will upgrade along with a couple of my rivals so that we can continue to race together in Masters 1/2/3.