When I arrived in Lidköping everyone asked 'Where is the new bike?' so I changed quick and then took the Ridley X-Ride to the start so it could be thoroughly examined. I couldn't try out the track because D Prestige were racing and I am glad I was not racing them today since they seemed to be flying along. Finally I could take a test lap and things felt okay until the downhill to the beach where my handlebar came loose and tipped down. So after a quick tighten I could see the rest of the lap and get to the startline on time. Talk about a long lap!

The start went fine and things were close together through the gravel and little grass/mud hills. It was very wet but not terribly slippery so it was fine. I was behind someone from Borensbergs IF but felt like it was going to slow so I passed him at the field before the löphinder. I didn't open up a gap because I was braking a lot in the downhill and had trouble getting up the grass hill after that despite lots of cheering from people. Then it was time for the beach and I hit the sand with good speed and managed a perfect line and got through. This is where everyone was standing so I had to at least try here. After that started the endless ride along Vänern which was nice even if it started raining.

Lap 2 was pretty uneventful. Somewhere around the first corner I lost contact with those in front of me and I was being chased still. The gap was pretty constant at around 30m. I was losing time on the gravel parts and gaining it back on the grass where the Ridley shines, even with clinchers. But I was already tired so I had to change for the next lap if I was to actually succeed in passing someone in SuperSpeczialKlass and staying in front of them.

Lap 3 was very eventful. I decided to fly through the road section up to varvning and keep up the speed until the grass. I was starting to take chances and brake less but I could also feel that my fork was not really handling the bumps well (i.e. loose). Despite all of this, the gap was getting smaller and his running up the grass hill was a strategy I used last week...stupid me. But he didn't get close enough. I gave it my best shot in the sand but still got stuck so I ran through. Behind me I heard the crowd yell 'Woooohhhh!' and knew that he must have taken a spectacular vurpa.

It was still tough along the beach but my superb ride on the grass and the corners after led to a sizeable and more relaxing gap. On the road section something funny was happening when I clipped in the left shoe. For each rotation my foot seemed to be moving in some strange angle. I assumed it was the pedal full of mud so I kept going. Rounding the corner to enter the start/mål area I looked down and saw that my left foot was clipped into the pedal but the vevarm was no longer attached to the bike. Shit. I was about 2 mil away from the depå where my indestructable Merida was waiting in case this happened. But feeling like I did, I decided to quit and take my first CX DNF. I had a hell of a lead on that guy too but I wished him 'grattis' when he passed.

First I was pissed and wanted to go strangle a few people in Alingsås. But then I realized that I put that part on myself. Doh. Mats fixed it for me so now it should be tight. He also fixed the fork which has come loose on both rides I have taken. I have to say that it is disappointing to have spent so much money and time on this and now it is falling apart. But I should remember that this is the first bike I have custom-made...all my others were assembled in some factory for me.

Driving home was full of mixed feelings. I normally feel down after a race because I am just dead tired. It rained heavy the entire way home and that never helps my mood either. And now that I am writing this, I actually feel like some kind of cold is brewing inside of me. So tomorrow is not looking too promising.

For me it is important to keep the cykelglädje high. And Björn said that the course will be pretty much the same tomorrow except shorter since it will have rained all night. So we will see if I start tomorrow. Maybe I will. Or maybe I will train here just to see what will fall off of the bike next.