Eureka Springs Fat Tire Festival

Late July weekends in Arkansas are not known to be the most pleasant times to have bike races. In past years, the Eureka Springs Fat Tire Festival has been held somewhere around the 20th of July and the weather has almost always been uncomfortable. Some years it rains. Some years it is bloody hot (95 degrees) and humid. One year it was even bloody hot and raining for the start of the cross country race. This year however, the temperature was uncharacteristically pleasant. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday the temperature hovered around 80 degrees in the middle of the day with very little humidity to spoil the coolness.
Because of the amazing weather, record numbers of riders flocked to Eureka Springs for the race. Every rider class was brim full. Over 300 racers total signed up to race this weekend and nearly 250 of them raced the cross country course on Sunday.
Before all the madness of Sunday's race could take place three events had to be organized and run. I considered trying for an omnium victory, but decided that downhill and observed trials would put too much time pressure on an already packed weekend. Instead I raced the short track and cross country and helped time the downhill.
Friday's short track was held on a minibike course and was the bomb. The track was about the width of an average doubletrack, and was made of perfectly smooth packed dirt. To keep cyclocross bikes from ruling the even, a kicker, a log drop, and three off camber switchbacks were added.
I really had the short track dialed. I took the fastest lap time for my qualifying run. I won the first lap premium and finished third overall in a class of about 13 cat 1 riders. After the first lap I was quickly passed by one rider, but spent the rest of the race battling in a pack of four riders right behind him. I had to phisically push riders out of my way at least three times during the race and had to run a section of the course after being knocked down in the swithbacks, but I guess my results indicate that it all worked out.
Sunday's cross country race held it's own set of challenges for me. Literally two minutes after the mass start downtown I got lost in the back streets of Eureka Springs along with the lead group of about fiifteen cat 1 riders. We never made it back onto the actual course, but thanks to some quick thinking by one of my competitors we rejoined it a bit further on. Once we made it to the single track I fell back into fourth place and then the sidewall of my reat tire was slashed by a sharp rock. Only one person in my catagory passed me while I was fixing my flat and after a record fast tire change I charged off to catch him. Half way through my final lap my front tire was also punctured and without any air, pump, or extra tube I had to stop and shake my Stans sealent into the hole and hope it would hold the last fifteen pounds of pressure in my tire for the rest of the race. My tire held until right before the finish line and I ended up running the final section of the racecourse.
Even with all my mishaps I took fifth place in the cross country event out of fifteen Cat 1 19-29 participants. Arlo, my brother, crashed into a beginner rider he was trying to pass and badly tweaked his shoulder. He should be fully recovered by the time he comes to school but he will be off the bike for a while.
So, as a recap. Third in the short track. Fifth in the cross country with two flats. All during a butiful Arkansas Summer Weekend. Not too shabby.

Linden