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What Santiago saw:
Category: 4
Result: 3rd
Brian, Ziggi and myself did the Sr 4 and went pretty good.
As usual fighting to stay in front most of the race. We started at the end of the pack (bad move!!!), so it took a lot of work to get to the front. Anyway after chasing every single attack and getting 2nd and third on two primes, here we go for the final lap.
With half lap to go I was place on the top ten, I was thinking not bad and waiting to get closer to the second to last turn before making my move when suddenly I saw Ziggi passing by on the left side of the pack, I reacted immediately, jumped, a got on his wheel, taking some risk with the cones dividing the lanes, anyway here we go, Ziggi leading out. Got one guy on my wheel... and damm, lost Ziggi's wheel on the second to last turn, sat on this guy's wheel and waited for his move... WRONG!!! should had gone before him, in any case couldn't make it pass him or Ziggi, the sprint was way to short.
So, Ziggi got second and I got third. Great job Ziggi making the right move!!!
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What Ziggy saw:
Category: 4
Result: 2nd
Sunday was good. MOJO bars aren't.
Anyway, Santiago gave a pretty good run-down of what happened Sunday. I placed third for a prime, not that I was actually trying or anything, but didn't want a gap at the front to open up so I let two other guys kill themselves for what was probably a goodie bag of MOJO bars and GU gunk. Staying up front this time took a few more turns at the front and was harder than I've experienced so far. The race wasn't particularly fast, but my normal front running tactics were harder to employ on some of the narrower stretches of road.
The best tactic for this race ended up being good old hard work with many turns at the front. The fact that the course goes from two lanes to one a couple of times made for some interesting corners. Coming into the last lap I was sitting somewhere around 10th spot and from the looks of the crowd, I was almost sure this was where I was going to end up. Exiting the last corner of the back side, I had made up a few spots and managed to find a good line up to the front. Under no control of my own, I pedaled right to the front just as the pack hesitated and proceded to power on.
As soon as this happened all I was thinking was 'Oh good move genius! Cook yourself and end up somewhere near last. Brilliant!' Well, nobody came around me through the last three turns, perhaps they were scared because I think I was taking up a pretty good chunk of real-estate with my turns, and on the final straight all I remember thinking was 'Where the hell is the damn finish line?!' It, of course, was too far away and I got piped by about a wheel's length at the finish. I think Santiago was nice enough not to take away my 2nd.
Take home for 2nd was ok: 'nuff cash for maybe a couple of cheap innertubes, a bunch of cliff bars (BBC sponsor), a nice t-shirt and some Peet's coffee (another BBC sponsor). Oh, and a few of these really bad tasting bars called MOJO bars from Cliff. Basically a rice cake with nuts glued to it with caramel. I would have thought the cash situation would be a bit different with the size of today's field, 68 out of 70 spots, but hey, something is better than nothing (better than last year from what Santiago said). Oh, and as Brian J. keeps reminding me, I still haven't won a damn medal!
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What Brian J. saw:
Category: 4
Result: Mid-pack
Myself middle of the pack. OUCH! I couldn't clip in at the beginning of the race and starting at the back, left me working my way up. Let me tell you there was all kinds of nuts racing that morning. Anyone that has raced that course knows it's very difficult to try and get to the front from the back, especially with 67 racers. I finished the race, feeling cheated! and full of pinned-up energy. O-WELL Next time!, But very proud of Ziggy and Santiago!!!!!! BIG SMILE!!
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