2019 Season Recap: Rattler Race Series Fandango
The Fandango was my second race of the season, but it was my first cross country distance event and the first event of the season that I would have a full support crew along with me. I had more to plan for this race; I had to plan my crew’s schedule, plan their meals, make sure their needs were looked after, plan plenty of down time for them to relax and enjoy themselves, schedule in fun activities, and let them know what I needed and when.
There was also more for me to pack in the rental van. I had
to pack gear for my crew as well: food, drinks, their luggage, chairs, umbrellas,
etc.
I had originally reserved a minivan. On the morning I drove to
the car rental business there were no more minivans available. Instead the only
van option available was a full-size Ford E350 passenger van. My crew thought
this was far too much van for our purposes, but I knew it was ideal. By the
time I had everything packed and I had enough space to store both of my race mountain
bikes inside on their stands without removing their wheels. It was perfect.
On the road, we were rewarded on our adventure once again. I
chose highway 285 because it kept me from having to take I-70, had fewer mountain
passes, and had roughly the same travel time. The route also proved beautiful and
relaxing. Living in the mountains of Colorado, I am accustomed to scenic drives
that I try never to take for granted.
Route 285 however was more stunning than I expected with wide grassland valleys surrounded by imposing mountain ranges, and on a side note there was very little traffic. We enjoyed road trip games and driving through the unique small mountain towns. We even stumbled upon a Coney Island hot dog stand that sparked the interest of my crew. We quickly decided that we would have our victory meal here if I won the race.
We hit the first figurative pothole when we arrived in
Bailey, Colorado where the race was held. We still had not received any word
back from our Airbnb. We had confirmation numbers from the website and we
pressed on with faith. Plans quickly fell apart.
We arrived at the Airbnb and were greeted by the kids of the owners. They were clear with us that the owners, who were also not on the premises, had made a mistake. The house was not actually available to us and never should have been. I thanked them for the trouble, pulled out my phone, and quickly booked the Holliday Inn Express in southwest Denver. Disaster averted, complimentary breakfast secured, and Airbnb later provide us with a full refund.
Pre-race day:
The race course was excellent. It was a standard cross-country
format with one smaller pre-lap followed by four laps on the same closed course
for about 90 minutes of racing. The course itself had technical rocky sections,
sand to negotiate, steep climbs, twisting descents, jeep road, and ample spectating
opportunities. The only real difficulty was negotiating the cow patties and
gopher holes in the parking area.
I was sure to practice feeding with my crew on the short jeep road section that proved ideal for this as it was the most open and featured a slight uphill. When everyone was comfortable, we called it a day.
Race day:
Preparation went smooth.
When we drove into the parking area, a race volunteer decided
to give us a VIP parking spot closer to the course and next to the start/finish
area. The race director, Dave, who puts on Denver’s Rattler Race Series, was
also very kind. I can’t say enough about how well the race was run and how warm
and friendly the race staff were.
After a good warm-up, I was ready to race.
My goal for this race was simple, get into first position as
quickly as possible and then win the race. All went to plan. I was the first racer
out of the first corner, and I didn’t see my competition again. Thank you again
to my crew who performed admirably.
And in good fashion, we did treat ourselves to those Coney Island hot dogs to celebrate my victory.
