was neat – a decaying church sat above the field , looming out of the dust . rode together . This is my favorite part of day one ( on the other days , start rows are determined by individual O / A , not by team ). I took third slot most of the day . Britney initially followed me , but struggled , due to my “ erratic riding style and unconventional line choices .” It also made sense to put the first-timer in the middle ; if she had problems , someone was there to help .
Next was a high-speed cross test ( church ). My 350 ’ s tapped in the straightaways and I keep thinking how hard the ground looks . While I didn ’ t care for the test , the location
Next was riverbed test . There were farm roads , rock gardens , and the eponymous riverbed . Shallow waters and small , gravel-like stones made for deep corner berms and tall whoops . It was my favorite test of the week . Though I was still fourth , it was by only a handful of seconds .
After riverbed , we had long transfers through the mountains . This part of the loop stayed the same days one-three and was one of the most technical parts , with hill climbs , rocky riverbed crossings , and mountain-ridge single-track . On the transfer back we ran military base and potato again . I ’ m always shocked by how fast tests get rough – one time through causes more damage than multiple GNCC laps .
BRANDY RICHARDS
ON THE PEGS // PAGE 96