Nope, no jersey this time around. Amy Dombroski and I were no more than 10 seconds apart the entire race and raced down the last descent neck and neck. It came to a sprint for the line, although Amy came into the last corner in a better position. I’d call Amy a road racer but it’s hard to swallow the fact that I got beat by a road racer on the downhill of a mountain bike race. She’s just a good bike racer, and it doesn’t matter what kind of bike.

Seven women started the U23 race, which is still pretty small but the category is getting more competitive each year. The race course starts at 9,000 feet and goes up at a 20% grade for a little while. It’s the kind of climb that pretty much destroys you each time up. Eventually it levels, at bit, switchbacks through some trees, goes up some more, hits a fire road before a dusty singletrack descent to the bottom. It was the kind of bumpy that had my calves on the verge of cramping and left me with some sore triceps. Fun stuff really.

I didn’t race with the pro women today, which was a relief because everyone looked miserable on the start climb. Instead, I watched TJ ride to a second place finish in the men’s single speed race. I can’t imagine not having gears on that course. Well, I’m planning on a good short track tomorrow, so I better get some sleep. For the best race coverage, check out CyclingDirt.org.