Timpani Crit

For some reason, I don't hate crits this year. Which is a relief, because when I hated crits there were not that many races that I wanted to even enter.

The beauty of Timpani is that it's so close to home (that and the fact that they drag those drums out every year). I completely negated the close to home value by forgetting my helmet. I had to drive to the race twice! Doh!

Eric twisted my arm and forced me to throw in my $10 for the P12 in addition to the 35+. It was pretty hot out there, so I tried to keep drinking for my first 2 race day in a long time.

35+

I saw Beth and Hernando as I rolled up to the line. Hernando was suited up! Nice to see them out - of course I wasn't sure who Beth would be cheering for so I made a mental note to see where her loyalties are.

The race was fairly uneventful for me until a prime lap about half way through. I didn't actually know it was a prime however. Just before turn three Hernando and I got a gap on the field and Mike drilled it giving us a decent advantage. I came around with hopes that Mike and maybe some others would join and start working together. I was trying to get a break started! Going into the last turn I was alone. I saw a Specialized guy coming up pretty hard, and I saw the line approaching. I realized it must be a prime so I made sure to hold off the Specialized guy for my cliff bars.

Going into turn one then I was still alone. Rand Miller yelled at me - probably something obscene, but not sure what. I think he was proud of me - looking on me as a graduate of the Alto Velo Elite Team School of Hopeless Breakaways (he's the dean of the school). I figured going it alone wouldn't be such a good idea so I just waited to re-integrate.

With 3 to go I had great position. I was feeling pretty good too. I kinda got this feeling that I haven't had in a while - like I could win this thing.

I lost that good position and that feeling with 2 to go. It just got kinda messy and curb to curb. I probably should have spent a match to prevent being swarmed - oh well, next time.

I go to collect my cliff product for winning the prime. The guy opens his trunk where it looks like there are about a 1000 boxes of cliff bars. He asks "what flavor would you like?"

I do not hesitate - "Chocolate Brownie please!".

"Oh sorry, don't think I have that one".

Barely phased I quickly bounce back "Chocolate Chip?"

Rustling through the 1000 boxes of cliff bars he says "Actually... ummm... all I have is banana nut. Sorry man."

Unwilling to let anything diminish my sense of accomplishment. I explain how very happy I am to bring home the banana nut cliff bars. I realize now I should have offered one to Hernando for the huge lead out!

P12

Tired, but not completely spent - I line up for P12. Ten minutes in and I have the familiar sensations associated with the back of the P12 field. Groveling. Guttered. About to give in. Somewhere up there there is a race happening. I catch glimpses of the race now and then. It looks fun. It is also miles away. I decide to go up there and see what it's like.

When I get up there I find it's not easier. Then I make it harder - deciding to try to bridge up to what looks to be a coalescing break. I try to get off the front and get up there, but I don't have much snap. I do get up there but I look back and find a long thin line of the entire field came with me. Oooops. At least Eric wasn't up there. Now I am spent. I drift back to the more familiar nether regions of the field. Russ from Davis sees me and offers me a wheel. I dig deep. I just can't hold it. I pull out. I grab a coke from my car and watch the rest from the curb while eating a banana nut cliff bar.

A group of maybe 8 got away. Briggs won, Rand got 2nd.

- Matt