This is a race that I can win. Unfortunatley Luck and preperation must be considered. I did not test ride the course and assumed the gravel conditions where the same as last year. Choosing the hardest ( wire bead ) tire in the shop to prevent. So ridgid in fact my entire bike rattled a part. Starting with the water bottle cages and ending with my seat. The rough ride of the tires was enough to keep me out of contention and it was the first real race of the season on a new bike.