Event: Hibernia Spring Bash

Name: Chris Eatough

City: Baldwin

State/Province: MD

Country: USA

Age: 27

CLASS +/or Age group: Senior 1

Category: Pro

Team: Trek/VW

XC Race Bike: Fuel 100

Tires: Bontrager Super X Tubeless

Conditions: Sunny but cool, one muddy section

How was your fitness level going into this race?

Compared to those that have a real job, I'm sure my fitness is good. I am lucky enough to train full time, and this makes a big difference. I have been training seriously since the beginning of December. That's 4 full months, so I was looking forward for the racing to start.

Did you have any problems getting into the singletrack?

Yes, I was first. I wanted to make sure I kept out of the mayhem through the mud the first time.

Were you strong from start to finish?

Yes, in fact a lap or two more would have been fine by me.

When did you put the hammer down?

My pace was pretty much consistent, but I did give a bit more effort on the 4th lap. Mike Kuhn was having an outstanding race, and he had matched me up until then. I sensed he was a few seconds back after the mud section, so I put my head down to extend the gap. I had a 10 second lead with a lap to go, and 20 seconds at the finish, which is not a lot! Great ride Mike.

Did you have any unusual problems?

No, my preparation was good, and my bike was perfect (thanks to our Trek team mechanic extrodanaire, Sean Langhein).

Were you happy with the way the race was run?

Absolutely. Excellent organization at registration and awards, impressive timing system, and generous and fairly distributed prizes.

Did you have any interesting experiences during your race (exchanges with competitors/spectators)?

Our Trek team manager, Jon Posner, was doing water bottle hand off duties. He made me laugh during the race because we got crossed up on which side of the trail he was passing from. I was passing riders on the right, but he was on the left, so I switched over, just at the same time that he moved to the right, so I switched again. It was like a funny weaving dance, and I was really confusing the other riders, but it turned out OK.

Anything you would like to add?

Great start to the season. Our team is planning on racing most of the Super Series this year, so stop by the Trek trailer or Eurovan and say Hi!