Casali Wins Last Race of Colorado Cup SS CX Season on his Hodala
All good things must come to an end, and for Carlos Casali of Team Gates Carbon Drive the last singlespeed cyclocross race of the Colorado Cup season ended with, what else? Another victory. The win added to the team’s margin of victory in both the team and individual Colorado Cup singlespeed categories. In addition to Casali, another Gates rider had a superlative season: Derek Strong finished in third-place in the Colorado Cup singlespeed CX category.
The race at Boulder Reservoir on Saturday began with cold and windy conditions, and a slightly smaller field than normal, likely due to the fact it had been a month since the last race and many competitors have broken out their skis for the Rocky Mountain winter. Due to the strong headwind and course layout, this race favored bike handling skill over speed. Casali took the lead on the first lap and held on–despite a painful fall while running up a set of wooden stairs. “I hit my knee hard, and for about a lap I struggled as other riders gained on me, but I got my act together and toughed it out.”
Casali, who was racing his belt-drive Raleigh Hodala, praised the Hodala’s performance on the sandy racecourse. “The Hodala is an amazing bike,” he said after the race. “I can’t wait to race it again next season.”
