The start of any XC race consists of a pell mell dash to the hole shot: the first section of single track. Usually, wherever you are in the field when that happens is likely about where you're going to finish--give or take about 5 places. So how bad do you want it when the first section of single track is a good kilometer away and about a 250 vertical foot elevation gain? Evidently bad enough to go full gas for a long ways.