As a bonus for the season end, I decided to jump into a race down in Hendersonville, North Carolina that was barely 30 minutes from where we were staying for Thanksgiving. What luck. There was also a double UCI race over the weekend, so the turnout was quite good.
Because UCI races don't allows Cat 2 to ride with the pros, they were combining them with the 3s for this weekend. As I had just submitted my 4 to 3 upgrade, this meant I was going to race in the 2/3 combined category. With no call ups, and no specific intentions other then to have fun, I staged at the very back and decided to see how far up I could move. I had a good start and was already making some passes on the first lap when I felt my front rim bottom out hard on some roots. No problem, I've done that before, and the tubeless combo always held up well.
However, as soon as I came to a sharp right hand off camber turn before the first steep ride-up, my front washed out as if I had hit an ice patch. My chain also dropped and it took me a while to get myself sorted out. I fumbled my way up the steep section, but my front tire was completely flat. I had a long way to go to get to the pits, and it meant running through the start-finish section. The announcer saw me running through and gave me a shout of encouragement through the PA.
Thankfully, Becca ran to the car, grabbed my pump for me, and delivered it to the pits. I tried to inflate the tire, but it wasn't holding air, so I withdrew. I made it about a lap and half, including the running.
On closer inspection, there is a small hole in the sidewall, I seem to have pinch flatted the tire itself. Maybe next year is the year for tubeless.
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