Melissa's Derby City Homecoming

Here's Melissa's firsthand account of her trip to the Derby City Cup last weekend.

After spectating the 2013 cyclocross world championships, I wanted to get back to Louisville, Kentucky to race at Eva Bandman Park.

With my husband’s family living a few miles from the venue, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get in two more UCI events in front of a great cheering section.

The twisty, challenging course had two sandpits, a steep fly-over, several tricky off-camber sections, limestone steps, railroad ties and even a jump that racers had to launch.

I lined up in the last row under the lights on Saturday night with a goal to move up at least 10-12 spots in the first lap. With a chill in the air, my Mad Alchemy medium embrocation was just right to keep my legs warm. I rode smart and picked off riders one by one, making a big move in the first sand pit by anticipating a traffic jam and dismounting early.

Photos: Yet Another Bike Photo Facebook Page

I quickly figured out the key to “the jump” was to get as much speed as possible on the preceding downhill and catch enough air to keep from bashing your rear wheel. A loud and rowdy crowd at the jump reacted to each riders attempt.

With one lap to go, another rider crashed into me after trying to pass at a bad spot, causing me to drop my chain. I lost a few places while un-jamming my drivetrain and ended up finishing 20th for the night.

Sunday’s race brought beautiful fall weather on essentially the same course. My legs were tired from the night before, but I rallied and again worked my way up through the field. I cleared the jump every lap with lots of cheers from the crowd and made more passes in the sand.

I truly enjoyed the opportunity to line up with the fastest female cyclocrossers in the nation and was pleased to pull off another 20th-place finish. Overall I had a great weekend of racing and enjoyed experiencing the Louisville cyclocross scene.