Triple Dip v20.22: Part One

Mang.  Life-altering events led to a couple of restless nights of sleep before the Triple Dip 20.22.  Leaving the house that morning, I only got about seven minutes from the into my drive before I realized I forgot my moneys/cards/ID and also realized I'd probably only take 3/4 of a shit before jumping in the car.  I had time to go back and grab my financial instruments but not address the other issue.  Guess I'll just carry that with me the rest of the day.

I'd decided that since I'm heading to Moab at the end of this week, I'd better not get caught up in the argy bargy scrum to be first into any singletrack.  There were more riders gathering in the parking lot this year than last, and some former Tour duh Charlotte podium occupiers from days gone by that are familiar with this type of racing, and also some SC locals who might actually know where they're going.

Party pace ride through a park and over a highway to the first race stage of six?  Seven?  Eight?  Who knows?

Stage One:
I line up in the second row behind the real "tryers" in the group.  Seems like the safe place to be.  We listen to the route instructions (and by "listen" I mean "not listen")...  something something, trail splits, something, lake, something, trail... two laps... finish?  I dive into the woods in mebbe sixth of seventh place?   The lake we're circumnavigating is pretty straight forward... at least 3/4 of the way around.  The other bit?  There seemed to be as many creative line choices as there were riders.  Mebbe my "interpretation" caught me up a place or two.  Mebbe I got passed by a guy on an e-bike (I did).

I cross the finish line after two safe laps, and I'm handed the nine of Clubs (I think).

Pretty sure that photo is from Stage Two, but whatever.

Oh yeah.  The scoring system.  They're using the old Tour duh Charlotte method of just handing out playing cards as you finish, Ace to the winner and down to the lowly two.  Hold onto your cards and they'll add up the scores at the end of the day.

Stage Two:
More instructions on the start line that I think most of us remembered a few words of... creek crossing, log drop, go-around... rock garden?  In that order?  Apparently former Faster Mustache teammate who had crushed Stage One didn't hear the first part and missed the first left turn to the creek crossing.  I get caught up behind the e-biker coming outta the creek, smack my ankle on a pedal, and hop back on.  I'm looking out for this "log drop" but never see it.  Come into the spectator pit, and before I realize it, I'm in the rock garden.  Finish the stage, get my card... don't remember what it was or how I did at all.

Stage Three:
Dammit.  It's the flat stage from last year except backwards.  The geared riders are gonna crush.  The e-bike might jump over the whole field.  More instructions that we're supposed to listen to, and minutes into the two lap race, the front of the bunch missed the first turn.  Mebbe I'm sitting top three now, but I'll be spun out at 17MPH or so, all I can hope for is that when the lead group goes back by me, they don't bowl me over.  I hit the wide open section and kinda wave my hand in the air to let them know I'm submitting... but only Santana and mebbe another guy get back around me and where they belong.

Stage Four: 
Well... they said it would be an uphill individual time trial... and they said they had a way worked out to time it?  How, what, when and also how?  We'd start in groups of self-determined threes, one fast rider, one medium, and one slow... in order to make it easier to time?  I went off in something like the third wave as the "fast guy" in our group, determined that if I could win any stage, I'd make it this one.  No worries about getting pushed into a tree tryna be first in the woods.  Just a 135lb guy on a 20lb bike and a stout gear and a penchant for hurting myself going uphill.  So I give 'er... had to pass a rider from the previous wave on the way up... come through a rock garden...

and when I finish, someone hands me a five of Clubs.

"What is this for?" 

"Yeah, we couldn't figure out how to time it, so it's cards."

"But five of Clubs... ?"

And even as the words are coming out of my mouth, I realize this is backyard bandit enduro racing.  No gods and even fewer rules.  Complaining about how a free event is run only gives you one leg to stand on... and it's a pirate peg leg at that.  

So, five of Clubs it is, but mebbe someone handed me another low card to make up the difference?  You try to remember every detail from a foggy, seven hour day and tell me how that goes.

Part two tomorrow.

All images from Mary Kaye Zugelder