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Reports by:
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What Santiago saw:
Category: 4
Result: Mid-pack
Well my legs didn't want to ride after Sunday's punishment... but I did went for it. We had Mike, Paul and myself on the senior 4s. Garry and Carl were also there. It was a pretty fast race but comfortable, even do my legs were complaining all the time. Went for a prim with Paul lead out, but didn't get it, ended up 3rd on that one, but it was a good chance to test my legs, and guess what, they didn't respond... in any case, with two to go I moved up following Paul's wheel, but couldn't make it all the way up thanks to traffic and a big crash that took down 9 nine guys, in any case I ended up getting 12 out of a field of 74 or so riders.
Great weekend overall, no placing but survived...
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What Santiago saw:
Category: Masters 35+ 1/2/3/4 and Cat. 3.
Result: Mid-pack in both.
I rode the Masters 35+ 1/2/3/4 and the Senior 3 race.
The day started off bad for the organizers, someone had parked a trailer illegally on the circuit, so the senior 5 race was delayed 30 mins. Carl was our man in this race and I saw him riding strongly towards the front. The last time into turn two saw a ugly pile up of 6 guys. Apparently the fella that caused it was sketchy throughout that race and brought complaints to the chief judge. So another delay.
The M1/2/3/4 was a reasonable race, not much to report. I hit the front a couple of times doing my turn. I finished in the pack.
PP, MM and SB rode the Senior 4. SB got third on a prime and finished about 15 o/a. PP narrowly missed a major pile up on the last lap. some guy hit his back wheel and came down. his handlebars got hooked onto PP's bike frame and PP dragged it for 200 feet before becoming disentangled. He has a really sore abrasion on his achilles where a tire rubbed his skin off..mega ouch. All the guys rode really strongly.
The senior 3 was a good race with plenty of attack's, one including me. A field containing 2 USPS, Palace, Winning wheels and Team Excel is high quality. Nothing worked out and a field sprint produced a 10 man pile up on the last turn. I finished mid pack again.
What did I learn?
Well, I am starting to get some strength and form and that I should sit in the shade while waiting for my next race. I have a beautiful sunburn.
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What Carl saw:
Category: 5
Result: Top ten
As Gary noted I did the Senior 5 Crit (my last!), it was not of the better races I have attended. To begin with registation did not open until about 7:15. Then, a restart after doing the first lap due to the removal of the trailer from the course.
I knew it was going to be a race to ride with caution when the ref. was being asked questions about "basic" crit. edique at the line prior to the race. The race was a pack ride to the end with more body contact in the field then I am used to and then there was this Alto Velo rider who was constantly trying to thread the needle in the pack and not holding a line in the corners.
As Gary mentioned there was a crash in the 2nd corner, caused by the Alto Velo rider who had nearly caused one in the previous corner, the group that was in front of the crash dashed ahead and I tried to bridge the gap but could not and was able to salvage a 10th place. After the race I went to the ref. about the Alto Velo rider and then saw him talking with someone who seemed like a team coach after the race and when he departed I went to the "coach" and spoke to him about the rider and he said that he had just joined the club and seemed new to racing and pack riding (that was no lie).
Glad to hear that the FFRT riders made it through OK.
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