Thursday, March 10, 2011

Merco

I think the last crit I did was Timpani back in 2009. So it’s been awhile! Racing was fun this weekend. I have the fitness, but mytactical skills are a bit off. Hopefully that part will start to clicksoon. I've got to be more patient, sit in and follow wheels better,and conserve. And try and win money in primes rather than think about a break

Merco Crit
March 5, 2011
Masters 35+ 1/2/3
Team mates Tom and Steve
11th of 60-70 ish

The crit course was different this year due to constrcution - it had a180 and it went clock wise. It was maybe 400 meters out of the hairpinto the line. Most people hated it, but I LOVED it. At 40 laps, thiscrit is one of the longest the masters do all year (it was 70minutes). The race started slow, with a few half hearted attacks, soabout 5 laps in I launched my first attack of the 2011 season. It feltgood to be back in the mix!

After that I was either covering most moves, or starting trying tostart them them. I spent a good deal of time off the front.Unfortunately, when I came back gassed from an effort with 14 to goBrian Bosch went and I didn't respond. One other rider (Darren Divine)followed him and that was it. They were gone

I tried to get across several times, with various riders, but it justwasn't meant to be. With about 8 to go I started to sit in and thinkabout the sprint for the minor placings

With two to go Steve rolled up and asked how I was feeling. He was allset to guide me to the front and set me up. But, coming out of thehairpin when we were seeing one to go he cramped! I didn't realize itquickly enough and I totally missed the swarm moving up. I tried tomake up ground on the back side of the course, but could only get sofar. My position going in to the sprint was less than ideal. Out ofthe hairpin I just had no where to go I was too far back to have aclean line anywhere. I never got out of the saddle or was able to openup my sprint - too much traffic. I just had no where to go around.Finished 11th and feeling way too fresh at the end

The good news is that I felt great, and jumping 40 times out of thehairpin was no problem. Fitness is there, the rest will come together

Merco RR
Masters 35+ 1/2/3
March 6, 2011
Team mates Tom and Steve
13th of ~75-80

Despite riding motorcycles, eating way too much, and sleeping well, Iawoke to some tired legs. Back to back race days for the first time ina long time... nothing to do but get out there and do it

Unlike Saturday's perfect 70 degrees and sunny weather, our 8 am startwas about 50 degrees and raining. And it rained the whole race.Fortunately the pack was very sane, and everyone rode smoothly andreally well

My legs were slow to come around. Lack of warm up probably didn'thelp. I covered a few early moves. But, I missed the first big movethat went on the first lap. I tried to bridge a few times, but noluck. I drifted back to sit in some and try and get the legs to wakeup!

As we hit the rollers on the first lap Billy Innes set a hard tempothat lined the group out. It looked like we were catching the breakand I put in a dig up the Snelling feed hill. But, the riders I passedhad Pro/1/2 numbers on.I was confused, and assumed that we WEREN'Tcatching the break. But, I kept going, and had one other guy with me.We got pulled back, and Billy, Yahoo!, and MacNeill put in a few digs,but I still thought the break was up the road. We were nearing thefeed, I drifted back in the pack and ate something and drank abottle. Of course, while I'm back there, Innes and Klein go away. Andwe HAD pulled back the break. So I missed a really key move

Now Innes and Klein were up the road with one other. They only had 3though, so it was likely they could come back. On the last lap, Tomcame up and put in some monster pulls, really impressive, to helpbring it back. Along with the Folsom Bikes team, who did a good jobsetting tempo to help pull the move back

Right before the rollers the break was brought back. I tried to stayup front, but honestly I was hurting. I couldn't let Tom's work go towaste though, so I hung in there. As Tom was rolling back and I'mmoving up. Tom says "okay, they are back. Think Tigerblood!" orsomething like that. In reference to the Charlie Sheen ramblings allover the internet earlier in the week. So I sucked it up, and had todig deep to hang in there and focus

I was trying to stay near Bosch and Briggs - I knew they would betrying to set one of them up for the win. After the Snelling hillSteve came up and was ready to help set me up. I think it will takeanother race or two to work out the kinks - it's been a while since weraced together. But, we'll get there

As I said, my tactics and wheel surfing are rusty. I got swarmed andlost his wheel as he hit the front with 1.5k to go. I hung out a bitand moved up as I could before the left hander at the base of the hillup to the sprint. I was on the inside line there and we came out ofthat and I sprinted up the hill. Both to move up, and because I had nochoice. I crested the hill 10th, but was GASSED. I seriously couldn'tstand up to sprint at that point. Rob MacNeill came FLYING by me andfinished 5th. I just could not get out of the saddle. I got passed bytwo others at the line to finish 13th

That's a hard finish for me, with that little sprint hill before thereal sprint. A little better positioning and maybe I could have beenin contention for a top 5. But really, I think that's my best finishever in that road race, and not *too* bad for the first road race in avery, very long time after a hard crit the day before

Things will start to click soon. I know it


rint hill before the
real sprint. A little better positioning and maybe I could have been
in contention for a top 5. But really, I think that's my best finish
ever in that road race, and not *too* bad for the first road race in a
very, very long time after a hard crit the day before.

Things will start to click soon. I know it.

No comments:

Post a Comment