Graham Howard - 9th Place

I lined up with team mates Derek Graham and Ben Whitehead this past Saturday against a larger than normal field at the Iceman. I wasn’t real sure what to hope for in terms of a result. I just planned on riding as hard as I could and hoped to not kill myself. The tire explosion and crash that took place not 500m into the day happened behind me, thankfully. Ben told us afterward that it had occurred right next to him and looked like two guys just smeared each other and brought down about ten others. Once we got off-road the field lined out and I started picking up spots. I tagged onto the front group after a couple of miles, which Derek was also in, but I lost contact after a few treacherous sand dune crossings and blown corners. Luckily Jake Rytlewski, my asphalt comrade, had suffered a similar fate and was chasing fast. It was all I could do to hold his wheel as he slowly but surely brought the front group into sight. We caught Derek who had been yo-yoing on and off of the front group all day, with about four miles remaining. I lost them on one of the last steep hills with three miles to go and rode in on my own for 9th. I was happy with my ride and had a lot of fun. Now if they could only pave those sandy sections and straighten out the single track I think I’d really be in the running.