Category: 4
Result: Top ten

I stayed in King City the night before so I could have a much later start on Saturday - much better than last year's drive on the day.

Matt I and I rode the cat 4 event. We had a bit of a plan - the aim was to get me a top ten finish. It was clear even before seeing who was in the race that AV would be trying to control it and we discussed what we would do if they got riders off the front: 1 rider and we wouldn't chase, 2 and one of us would mark them. Sure enough, at the start there were at least 6, if not 7 AV riders in the event.

The course is rolling out and flat back - there are enough rollers for the legs to be put through the paces, but they aren't long enough to force a real selection like the Winters hill, for example. From the roll out, we crossed the bridge and climbed the rise through the feedzone and under the freeway, past the turn onto the finish stretch. The course continues uphill after the freeway on a false flat and the front of the group let Rob and Bo from AV roll clear - these are two strong riders who could be capable of staying away if we let them.

Only one thing for it - I bridged across to them and latched on, cheerfully saying "hello" when they looked back and saw me with them and that we were well clear of the bunch. Hmm, At this stage the group had decided that we were not going to get away and started to chase us down. It was fun while it lasted. Nothing much to report on the rest of the lap. On lap 2 something similar happened up the rise - another small group got a small gap, but was not allowed much freedom.

On the final time through the feedzone there was all sorts of chaos as riders were leaving it very late to get a bottle. I got trapped at the back of the group but did finally get a bottle. Fortunately this time no group tried to get away and I got back into position pretty easily up the hill. Once onto the flat return, Matt and I started riding together. I wanted him to stay in about 5th wheel on the run-in and I would place myself off him. There were a couple of attacks on the flat run-in and we were forced to grovel a little at times, but nothing too desperate.

We rolled through San Ardo the final time and people were positioning themselves for the feed zone rise. Matt followed the lead rider over the bridge and I was in about 6th wheel. Not looking too bad. The lead rider sat up and Matt eased up with him. There was a pause and then the AV train went down the right. We got a little trapped on the left and lost some places onto the rise. We struggled up the rise and I gained a few spots climbing towards the freeway. Matt blew just before the freeway. I still had something in my legs, but not much.

I think I turned onto the finish in 10th and made up a couple of places and then lost one to roll over in 9th place, at the back of the lead group of the splintered bunch. An ok finish, but I had been hoping for better. We got out of position just before the final climb through the feedzone and I didn't have enough in the legs to get back into position to challenge for the win. 9th was my 10th to 10, so I upgraded on Sunday so I could ride the Giro in the 3's.

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