Jake all over Velo News...you see that Team Sponsors? WTF are you thinking, this guy just threw down on some of the BEST IN THE WORLD. Get all over this guy before your competition does...jesus, what the hell are you thinking?
Cross Vegas 09...here we go.
Jones chased by Driscoll as they move off the front..
Jeeez, finally a chance to sit down and write about what I've wanted to talk about since Wednesday., Cross Vegas and Jake Wells. Damn it's nice to be home and typing on my own computer, and for those of you who missed Cross Vegas this year, well, it was kind of funky as I saw it. But there was one amazing story that I along with many others were psyched to hear about. I've known the Wells family for quite a while now, and I'm not talking about Todd Wells who is always in the mix and a monster talent, I'm talking about Jake Wells from the Vail Valley. Jake has been flat out burrying himself for several years now to race at the top of the game in the world of CX, he's had some bad breaks along the way in big races, always seeming to have some kind of for shit start spot or a funky mishap keep him off the front at the end. That all changed at Cross Vegas. When the group he was chasing with as Driscoll and Jones went off the front bridged back up to THE chase group half way through, I knew I was witness to a moment, perhaps the defining moment in Jakes career as a CX racer. Yeah he went great two years ago at Nationals in the mud, but this was different. JAKE WAS RIDING WITH KABUSH, TODD WELLS, BARRY WICKS , JONOTHAN PAGE, RYAN TREBON JEREMY POWERS AND THREE TIME WORLD CHAMPION ERWIN VERVECKEN. I was pretty much shitting myself watching the action. Another BIG effort from Trebon split the group, but Jake was still with Kabush and Wicks and with three to go I could not believe I was calling out to Jake to try and do something about Barry Wicks as he was playing team tactics and slowing the chasers down so Trebon had a chance at the win without them. Unfortuantely, Jake and Kabush just did'nt have the gas to bridge a big gap, but J Dubbs hung tough until the end and finished 12th, gaining UCI points, which are gold to him at this point of the season. It was an awesome night for an awesome dude, and wife Linda was there in the pits the entire race ready for a bike change which was never needed. Compton devestated on her new Stevens Cross Bike..
With that said, my pictures and vijeo kind of suck from the night, and the crowd was pretty subdued compared to the last two years, it was downright small for the women's race where Katie Compton just dominated.
The Gurls come through after lap one, Compton in control
Jake Wells starts his move to the front, this is a HUGE effort as he attempts to close on all the big heavys, including Vervecken, a three time world champ. This is when the text messages from all of Jake's bros back home started coming in hot and heavy, it was AWESOME.
As for my own personal race, well, I can't say I've had more fun ever racing. Many thanks to all of you who cheered loud and rowdily, I heard all of you and it made me go harder every cheer.The course had some really nice subtle changes from last year including a second "Boulder Cup" style run up which was just in the perfect location. The crowd this year was way more subdued and quite a bit more quiet it seemed, but no biggie I suppose. The grass on course was grippy and the Industry field was BIG with 122 registered starters. No surprise after my "issue" with the promoters over charging $8 to get in that I was staged in row 16 of 16 rows, starting dead last of 122. I did manage to fight up through 72 riders and finish 49th in a 30 minute race, pretty damned pleased with that, it was a great and fun eve for sure.
MOST HAPPIEST OF BIRTHDAYS ELGEE!
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