|
Reports by:
Pictures from this event.
|
|
What Carl saw:
Category: M35+ 4/5
Result: Top 5
Velo Promo - those two words explain Saturdays Winters RR for me. The day began with the "typical" 20 minute start time delay and with confusion at the start line with which numbers were the +35 4/5 A race of the B (added) race.
The race itself played out like a usual Winters RR in that there would be a break-up on the climb and groups chasing back to the lead group and setting up for a sprint finish at the end. The race was going well for me in that in the first lap I was with the lead group over the climb and then on the second lap I was with the first chase group over the climb and we caught the lead group after a good chase (after the race some people in the lead group were amazed we caught them in that they were working together to try and keep away).
Soon after we had caught the lead group the Pro/1/2 lead moto passed us and then a break from that race passed us then a few minutes and we were about 3 miles from the finish the main group of the Pro/1/2's pass us then after passing us they group and sit-up and slow to about 22 mph.
Some riders in our race recognize that this has potential for some ugliness at the finish if we stay with them so we slow our group down to try to create a gap between us and the P/1/2 this is OK until the 1 km sign were there is an attack from with in our race and at about 500 m we catch the P/1/2 support vehicles and at 200 m we catch the P/1/2 field, we went into the left lane for our sprint and I was in the top 3 and accelerating and look up and there are 2 cars stopped at the line with a small gap to get thru. I was breaking/maneuvering and had no exact idea of how the finish was at the line, well the officials also did not know either between trying to get the cars out of the way not turning on the camera and general not collaborating on their hand picks.
And now the frustrating part is that since they were confused (as found out later) they avoided posting our results (or lack of them) until +2 hours after the race. In the end 4 of us who thought we were in good position and stuck around split the prize money - each got $10 and a T-shirt!
There were over 650 riders for this race and it is evident that this course can not support this many riders because there were 2 or 3 other races that had mixing of field problems and protests at the finish.
Back to top
|
|
What Jason saw:
Category: 5
Result: Off the back
Well I did my first race! Glad to get all the nerves out of my system now and can focus on getting better results in races to come.
As for the race its pretty much like Carl said. It took me about 45-50 to get through the registration line. I was scheduled for an 8:45 start time but did not get on the course until 9-9:15. I had only two goals for this race, one being not to crash the other to finish.
When my group left I just stuck with the pack for the first few miles. I wanted to get sense of how the pack and people operated within the pack. Just as we begin our first set of rollers before the climb, I experienced my first viewing of a crash. A guy two or three places behind me was bumped on a right hand turn and went down. After the crash I decided to move up the field. More because my legs had settled down from my pre-race nerves. I worked my way up to about 4th or 5th in the field before the climb, where I wanted to be.
But then I got screwed by the Pros/1/2. They passed us at the base of the climb were the roads became tight and a bit twisty. Nobody in my field stayed neutral. I was over to the right like I was suppose to be and I started noticing guys in my field passing. So I got pushed to the back. I actually wasn't too concerned with this cause I felt I could climb fairly strong to get me back in the pack.
However, at the first steep pitch before the feed zone, one guy got cut off and was thrown off his bike. I was behind this and had to move around, but the effort it took caused me to loose my rhythm and I couldn't really get it back. I ended up working too hard to try and catch the pack but suffered for it. I ended up riding most of the race from that point by myself.
In hind sight I should have launched an attack just before the base as I was debating.
Maybe I could have broken the field up more in the climb and get a lead group to pull away, but I didn't.
Over all it was fun, but I learned a few lessons on pack riding and what I shall need to work on during the off season.
Back to top
|
|
Pictures
Back to top
|
