Course:   The Cross-Country course included four climbs, 
approaching 2800 feet, in about 16 miles- three of them were long and 
very challenging, especially after the first lap.  The first climb was 
after the Start-Finish of the race and included fire road, single track, 
and at the long stretch to the top, fire road again.  The third major 
climb was around midway of the lap and involved tight switch-backs, 
and the fourth major climb was toward the end of the lap-Finish involving 
few switch-backs.  The downhill, in my opinion, was technical especially 
the last section toward the finish of the lap.  After climbing to the top 
of the mountain, the racers sorted several tight and steep switch-backs 
leading to the Finish, Bottom of Deer Valley Resort, which is around 
7500 feet of altitude.  The rest of the downhill was mostly single-track 
and involved blind turns and 90 degree turns.
 
 
Race:  I had my proper warm-up, and when they called my group 
to the Start-Finish, I was ready to go.  Dean Henthorn and I lined up 
at the front on the right side to avoid possible bottle necks, and at 
the "Go", I darted toward the front.  There was a rider who took the 
front so I thought I would follow him, but  after awhile, I noticed he 
slowed the pace, so I prepared to pass him as soon as possible. 
Soon enough he lost control at the very first tight turn and fell.  
I zoomed around him becoming the new leader of the race.  
I kept climbing toward the end of the first major hill, and soon enough 
at the very tip-top, I was joined by two other riders.  "No problem", 
I said to myself.  "I will keep up with them!"  Well, after sorting few 
yo-yo, or swing climbs, we found ourselves at the bottom of the second 
climb.  
Notice that I did not mention the second climb above because while l was 
preriding it, I did not think it would be a difficult climb in the race. 
I did not get a rhythm and I was having trouble going up "the short climb", 
so I was passed by two other riders and, after loosing their wheel, 
I made the decision to drink, calm down, get my form back and try 
to keep fifth place.  At the third major climb, my form came back-the 
only trouble was that I was joined by three other riders, one rider did
 not have a leg mark, the others did.  This time I thought I would fight 
to stay with them.  After closing the first lap, the first climb came 
again and I poised to attack them and make my move.  I passed Bob, 
from Colorado and, since the pace was fast, I thought I would wait.  
We were passing each-other back and forth and, at the bottom of the 
fourth major climb, I made my move.  Since I was at the front, 
I increased the pace...I looked up and they were not keeping up with me.  
I looked up as I was approaching two riders from another wave, 
so I used them to pace myself and pass them.  When I reached 
the "top" of the last climb, I knew I had done it.  
Not quite!  
After descending for awhile the steep, technical-switchbacks, 
I got off the trail and had to get off my bike.  The seconds it took me to 
do the checking for brakes, wheels and getting my bike back to the trail 
I gave up, what I had thought , two places.  It turned out that the rider 
mentioned above without the leg mark , was in my Sport category.  
So I finished eighth overall.  

 
-Carlos Zamora