CIRCUITO de EVESHAM
Location: Evesham, NJ
Sunday May 18, 2008
CAT 4/5 Race
Weather: 60's Partly Cloudy
Laps: 20 (1 mile per lap approx)
I warmed up for the race fairly lightly until about 30 mins prior to race start. Worked my way up doing short 400meter bursts so get the muscles warmed up and flood flowing. Since my spedometer got rained on, it hasn't been working properly so I went into the race without it (no big deal). The course was set up like the letter D with the finish along the straightaway but with all parts of the course slowly winding back and forth. The two corners were fine most laps, but there were 2 other pinch points on the outside at about 600meters and 1500meters into the loop. Since I only rode the loop once slowly prior to the race (there were races on it when I arrived in the morning)
So the field for this was approximately 50-60. I started off in the middle of the pack.. sitting on some peoples wheels. At this point in the race, I discovered that I need to work on my ability to hug a wheel of people I don't trust. I notice that if I give them a little room, someone behind me in the pack will fill it and I end up getting pushed to the back. I then use energy to work up the outside drafting someone else wanting to move up. With 12 laps to go 3 guys go off the front. I'm in the middle of the pack at the time and couldn't respond. Everyone seemed content just letting them sit off the front. We can still see them 2-3 times during each lap. With approx 10 laps to go, someone on the outside gets pinched into the curb at the 600meter pinch point (I was nowhere near them because I saw a problem there after 2-3 laps) and approx 10 people in the field were taken out. 3 flipped over the guy. It looked pretty nasty but no ambulance was needed so I'm glad everyone was okay. After this, I decided I needed better position. I moved into the top 10 of the peleton and remained in this position for the next 4 laps doing no work. Two guys seemed like they wanted to bridge or do some work to cover the gap with 6 laps to go and I hopped on their wheel. They decided against it shortly after. Similar thing happened with 4 laps to go. I think I wasted some energy both times that I shouldn't have. With 2 laps to go the peleton finally started picking it up. I was tired at this point and drafting near the back of the peleton. I just hung onto them and tried to pickoff whoever I could by the line. Pretty uneventful finish for me but I did learn a bunch and I didn't wreck! Overheard a guy mention the race avg was 26mph. Not bad I guess.
Looking back at the race. I should have been in the top 10 in the beginning of the race to so I could have perhaps hopped on the breakaway group. Racing alone, you either need to get on those breakaways or do no peleton work. I also wasted energy throughout the race not holding my spots and energy used with 6 and 4 laps to go that would have been better used to out sprint the peleton. Overall, as a CAT5.. I'm fairly pleased with my race. Especially since I hadn't ridden in over a week because of being sick.
Next race! Waitlist RFK and top waitlist spot BikeJam next weekend! I get to finally race with some Coppi's!
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