| OHill,
and Walnut Creek Charlottesville, VA |
 Chris Eatough |
 Jeremiah Bishop |
Dates: 4/13 and 4/14, 2002
Races: OHill, and Walnut Creek, both
in Charlottesville, VA
Mountain Bike Racing continued this weekend,
and I managed a homecoming double!
Both races were in Charlottesville, VA,
where I lived for 2 years when in graduate school from 1996 to 1998, the years
that I discovered my passion for bike riding and racing.
Saturday's race
was at O-Hill, which is a small but challenging trail system on and around a steep
hill adjacent to the campus of the University of Virginia. I have spent many hours
riding the steep, rocky trails, and the knowledge helped me build an early lead
and switch to cruise mode for the win. Conditions were hot and humid, and I wanted
to save some energy for the next days race.
It was hot again the next day
at Walnut Creek, and I knew I would be in for a tough battle with my Trek teammate,
Jeremiah Bishop. Although we are on the same team, Jeremiah and I like to push
each other to the limits in races, which often results in our best performances,
and prepares us for the major races of the season. Of course, we are also willing
to work together and utilize the full strength of our Trek team if the opportunity
arises.
On this day, however, it was soon clear that the battle would be
between the two of us, as we quickly built a big lead on the first of two 12 mile
laps. I forced the pace whenever possible, but Jeremiah was vigilant, and stuck
to me like a leach. It was only through an extra surge of adrenaline, which I
found after a scary head first crash with two miles to go, that I was able to
create a gap, which held for a 20 second win.
A great weekend of racing
all around, and perfect preparation for next weeks challenge at the Michaux Ironmasters
in PA. This is THE toughest race course around, and is guaranteed to produce enough
war stories for the entire year! The Trek complete team will be there, so stop
by at the trailer and say hello (if you have the energy after the race!)
Chris
Eatough,
Trek/VW East Coast Factory Team.