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What Tim saw:
Category: 5
Result: Back of pack
The course:
A flat 7/10 of a mile L-shaped counter-clockwise course with a nasty
head-wind in the first-half of the course, tail-wind on the back-
half, and tail-wind on the finishing straight-away. The finishing
straight is only about 100m from the last left-hand turn.
How it unfolded:
Start time is 7:30AM, but there is about a 30 minute delay as cars
were still parked on the course. We finally get started. My plan was
to chill at the back of the pack until 3 to go and then see how far I
could move up by the end. Unfortunately, from the gun, the pace was
fast, single-file line fast. Lots of gaps kept forming ahead of me
that I had to cover in order to keep contact with the main group,
which meant lots of work. The last gap I bridged was to a group of
about 20+ riders. I stayed at the back of this pack and when they
finally realized that everyone else got pulled, they slowed down.
For the rest of the race, the pace wasn't too bad, just a couple
surges for primes and stuff. I ate my gel, drank my revenge sport,
and just tried to conserve energy. At 3 to-go, I tried to move up,
but the pace had already picked up so I was only able to pick off a
couple of riders by the last turn of the last lap. During the turn, a
nasty crash occurred to my front-left. It looked like 3 people tried
to take the same inside line, which didn't work. I think the inside
guy couldn't hold his line and low-sided about 2-4 racers on his
right. I had to brake hard and swerve around the fallen riders, but
still had to un-clip. As I was performing my elegant crash-avoidance
maneuver one last rider did a super endo over the fallen riders to
make the crash spectacular. I rolled to the finish line alone, but
happy I still had my skin.
Lessons Learned:
I should have started to move up with 5-to-go instead of 3, but was
hesitant, because of the last early-bird. At the early-bird, I moved
to the front with 5-to-go and blew-up (but that might have been
because I went to very front and stayed there). This race was
definitely more technical - 4 lefts and two rights. I think that with
more a technical course there are less chances to move up and you
need to accommodate that by moving up earlier than in a non-technical
course like the early-bird course?
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What Mike N. saw:
Category: 5
Result: Did not finish
This quarter in school I take primarily night classes so I wake up at
9 all the time. It took an extra effort to wake up at 6 and head off.
The weather forecast had a ~90% chance of rain but that 10% made it
through. I did my warm up on the trainer than went on the course. The
race was running late even though it was the first race of the day: I
think we started 20+ minutes late.
On the start the pack accelerated fairly fast because there was a
tailwind. Coming onto the long straight was a tail/side wind that
started to string out the pack. I knew that the pace would slow down
eventually so I just hung on.
After a few laps a gap started to form several riders up ahead. I went
around them and bridged to the main pack, but by then the main pack
was single file. I couldn't get a good draft off anyone and by another
couple of laps I got shelled off the back. I spent a whole lap by
myself trying to bridge back. The gap hardly got any bigger, but I
popped. I joined up with some slower riders but we got pulled out of
the race.
Overall I enjoyed the course. Lots of corners (5 being left). I didn't
find the wind to suit my riding as well as the long straight after
turn 1.
I watched the crash happen as a spectator and it looked ugly. It
seemed like a domino effect that just gutted the pack. And the endo
was ridiculous. I think the crash could have been avoided if the pack
was more strung out. There was even a solo breakaway before lap 1 and
the pack didn't chase. The finish line is also a little too close to
the corner. I'd say maybe 200 meters or less. With the straight before
the finishing straight having a tailwind, riders will be flying
through that corner.
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What Pritpal saw:
Category: 3
Result: Did not finish
The race was to start at 1:20pm and i was putting my spare wheels at the pit around 1:18 and saw that only 5-6 riders were standing on the start line. So thought that i can spin for a lap and i went for a warm up spin as did not feel to stand there as it had already started RAINING.
When i came back the Race was already started without me and spoke to the official about what could be done now. They said you need to catch the bunch or you will be one lap down. So the race was already over for me but i tried to go fast and then thought i came here to train so waited for the bunch and hopped in as i was already 1 lap down so did not worry about conserving my energy for sprint or so.
As the rain started to pick up so did the pace and i was all single file. Found myself in the back of the line and they few of the rider in front gave away so i had to work extra hard to catch the bunch.
I was feel dead and was thinking that the race time might be nearly over up till now as there was a breakaway of 3 rider and whole the time they were nearly 20 sec ahead of the pack. I was thinking that it might be last few laps but then the Announcer Announced that there is still 20 min left for racing.
I knew that i could not hold for another 20 min as my heart rate had been above 187 and few times i did go over 200. so for last 40 min . i just did not took the last turn so went straight to my car.
I had a nice workout and the Entire Race it Rained !
While i was driving back home i pulled over on the side of 880 because my legs were cramping and i needed to stretch them.
It was Fun but i will avoid racing in Crappy weather in future, especially Crits where there are lots of turns.
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