June 27, 2004 - INTERVIEW
Name: Chris Eatough
City: Ellicott City
State/Province: MD
Country: USA
Age: 29
Place: 1st
Category: Pro
Class or Age Group: Senior 1
Team: Trek/VW
Race Bike: 8500 (Hardtail), Fox Fork
Tires: Bontrager Tubeless
Conditions: Dry, Fast, Warm
- How was your fitness level going into this race?
I was coming off a rest week.
I had a lot of racing and traveling in June, so I needed a short break.
I think it worked well, because I felt fresh and strong for this race.
- Were you happy with your position going into the singletrack?
Yes, I was 2nd, right behind Brandon.
I followed him comfortably for the first half lap, then I found a place to pass and opened up the throttle.
- Were you strong from start to finish?
Yes. This race was fairly short (about 85 minutes), and there were no big climbs, so I felt like I could attack the whole time.
- When did you put the hammer down?
On the 2nd lap I noticed a small gap behind me, so I pushed a bit harder to make it stick.
- Did you have any unusual problems?
I launched over one of the log piles so aggressively that my inflation device flew out of my back pocket!
Thankfully I still had a spare with me in case I flatted, and Bill Deputy picked it up for me so I didn't have to go back out onto the course after the race.
- Were you happy with the way the race was run?
Yes, it was a great event.
Fun course, good facility, and great weather.
I was a bit puzzled why the race flyer quoted start time as 11:30, but the starters seemed to think it was always scheduled for 12:30?
- Did you have any interesting experiences during your race (exchanges
with competitors/spectators)?
When I lapped the singlespeeders, they all thought I was Poz, which scarred them since he was racing in their class, and is famous for his late race surges!
- Anything you would like to add?
It was great to back to the local scene after a month of travelling and racing the national events. I really enjoy the people, the races, and the atmosphere at the Trek Classic and Super Series events.