Ride Sally Ride (CAT 5)

Ride Sally Ride Crit hosted by Whole Wheel Velo Club (WWVC)
Course: 1k Triangular loop (CAT 5 Race = 15 miles)
June 7, 2008

Prerace:

Holy crap it's going to be a hot day! The forecast says high of 97/98. Luckily, my race is at 8:45am. I drive over to the race partly because I'm not sure how my knee will respond since it had been hurting the day or two prior to the race and also because I want my trainer and extra fluids easily accessible. I sign in, do a lap or two on the course just to see how the turns look and go warm up on the trainer.

Race:

I line up on the inside behind the WWVC guys. Mike Davis (Coppi) lines up next to me. Prior to the start, I notice the lap counter only says 23, I guess we're doing 24 laps instead of 25! I know I'm going to need to mark some of the WWVC guys, Ted from Evo, and Mike(tri) of Endurance (I think). The first 200 meters doesn't go so well as I get stuck behind someone who couldn't clip in but I quickly move up to the top 15 just after the first turn. It feels like Ted and Mike(tri) are flip flopping attacks trying to get free with Ted being the most aggressive. I get on Mike(tri)'s wheel a few times and notice he accelerates very quickly and it's hard to hold his wheel. I make sure I'm not the only one responding to the attacks but that I be a part of the break if it gets away. Ted makes an attack about 10 laps into the race and Mike(tri) responds. At the time I was right on Mike(tri)'s wheel but I couldn't hold it. Mike from WWVC was on Ted's wheel at the time and was able to make the break as well. I'm kicking myself that I wasn't able to hop on. Sooo pissed.

Mike (Coppi) comes and sits near the front and I decide to try and pull the break back. After 2 laps, Mike (WWVC) pops and is dropped from the break. I continue to work hard at the front pulling. I figure I'll try to get in a small group that bridges to the break or at least catch them so Mike can win the sprint. I swear it felt like noone else wanted to bring the break back. I must have been pulling almost half the time. At least I was getting a good workout. The break went from 20 seconds down to 11 to 8 to 6 to 5 over the last few laps but it was just too late. By the time we got to the last lap, I was cooked and just hanging on the back of the peleton. Mike won the field sprint to get 3rd but we were unable to catch the lead break which sucks because we knew exactly how the race would go down and couldn't stop it from happening.

A big congrats to the 8 NCVC riders in the race who did.. hmm well nothing. 6 of them were never in the top 20 the entire race and 2 of them surged to the front for one corner and then went back to join their buddies. In hindsight, I should have jut sat up with 3-4 laps to go and rested, then I would have had lots of options for the last lap. I could have tried to gap the peleton and made them work to catch me while Mike did nothing or I could have led Mike out to guarentee he got 3rd a little better. I guess it all goes hand in hand with race experience. I know I was one of the top 5 guys in the race, yet my results don't show it. I also realized there was no way to catch Ted/Mike(tri) without a couple of the big dogs in the peleton doing work. Lesson learned. Although, I must say, that if 2 more guys in the peleton actually worked with me, we would have caught the break no problem. Ah well.

So I have now started 9 races (8 finishes + 1 crash) and am hoping to get #10 this weekend. Then I can CAT up!