Category: 4/5
Result: Top ten - unofficial result.

Sunday was cold and rainy and I spent a lot of it outside with playing with my daughter, walking my dog, and riding my bike. I rode in the first race of the day which is the Cat 4 / Experienced Cat 5 race. Despite the rain and chilly temperature - my HAC4 read 44.5 degrees throughout the race - Frank and I started with 30+ other racers. I rode to the race from my house and was able to ride 4 laps before the start so I was warmed up fairly well. Of course, everyone has to stand and shiver for the next 5 minutes before the race starts, but we all stand there freezing equally.

The race was very smooth since there was a small group, but there were quite a few attacks regardless. Since there was no finish placings, they added 2 primes into the race. I went for the first prime, but was completely outclassed by a RockLobster racer. I started at least 2 gears too big for the sprint so that was a lesson well learned, but the outcome wouldn't have been any different had I used better technique.

Others decided to fight for the second prime, and I knew the wheel to follow. So coming around the final turn I latched onto Ben's wheel (the RockLobster guy) and tried to stay on it, but that didn't work either so he took the second prime also, barely pipping 2 other riders at the line.

After a few more laps keeping near the front, trying to form a few breaks, etc., there were 15-20 riders left with 1 lap to go. I wasn't feeling great and let a gap form between me and 3 other riders (1 was Larry Nolan who was sucking wheels since he was mentoring) and there was another gap to the lead group. I decided that I would at least catch the group Larry was in on the final lap and so I made a huge 3/4 lap effort to recatch Larry, Ben and one other guy. I pulled as hard as I could to leadout Ben down the homestretch which allowed him to sprint for 3rd or 4th. I crossed the finish line in 5th or 6th

Despite the rain, the race was very safe. Everyone was taking good lines through the corners. There were quite a few attacks and the primes made things much more interesting than the usual early bird race where nothing really happens until a crash during the final sprint. I listened to the mentors for a while after the race, and then I rode home.

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