Back to school Crit
Baltimore, MD
22 Aug 2004
30+/40+ race
5th overall / 2nd-1st 30+
This race had a large field with the usual district suspects. For Evo, just Temple and myself. The 30+ and 40+ fields were combined with the 30+ numbers counting up from 1 and the 40+ guys numbers counting down from 99. I have been off the bike for a couple of weeks for business and just had 1 week of riding to get back into the swing of things. On lap 2, Ramon takes off and I know that this is not good so I go after him. Ramon, a Lancaster guy and I work for a lap and then we get primed so Ramon starts working harder and the field decides to work to close the gap to us. For most of the next few laps, I was at the back of the field trying to push my heart back into my chest after that effort, my first really deep effort in 3 weeks. With 6 to go, Coppi and NCVC (I think) had a guy up the road. Coming out of the final turn on that lap, Ramon wound it up and I went with him. We bridged up to the break now of 4. Shortly, Grant Soma (Snow Valley) was with us making 5 and we were off. Cooperation was not the best in the group but we managed a weak 15 second gap. I checked the numbers of everyone and all were in the 80s and 90s so I was pretty stoked thinking that I am the only 30+ in the break. I led out on the final lap with 500m to go not too worried about the finish. Soma attacked hard going into the final turn and held Ramon off for the finish. I rolled through in 5th ahead of the field. Post race, I find out that Ramon was officially registered as a 30+. I talked to the officials who announced the number policy at the line. The club, BBC, realized the mistake as well and did a co-winner payout for the 30+ to Ramon and myself. I don't know if I could have taken Ramon in a sprint for the finish, but I definitely would have raced the final few laps differently knowing he was also a 30+. Live and learn but I was happy with the result after my time off. 5th in the race, 2nd (30+ I guess), co-winner (officially?) = very confusing.
---------------
1,2,3 race
This race had a smallish field (only about 30) with some quality (Fuji) guys and about 9 NCVC guys. Evo had Nigel, Adam S., Nick, and me. I had this one figured out from the gun. NCVC would send someone with everything - duh. So from the gun, there they go. Ramon goes away early and bridges to a break of 4 up the road with most of the major teams represented except us. We don't go with Ramon either - one of our several mistakes. Ramon proceeds to attack the break and bridge to the field lapping us over the next few laps. About 2/3 through, the break splits into 2 groups of 2. We catch the first group and get the gap to about 12 seconds to the second group for a while. I put in some big turns on the front to try to entice the group to make the junction but to no avail. The remaining break group now begins to gain time so the race is now for 4th in the field. I sat on for a few laps to get ready for the inevitable field sprint and started moving up with 3 to go. I was in the top 5 with ¾ of a lap to go when the surges came as NCVCs train began to crumble. I got boxed in behind SuperDave and bounced around a couple of guys as lines were crossing in front of me. I snuck out on the downhill run and hit the final turn in about 8th. I picked up a couple of spots on the run to the line and was maybe in the top 10 when it was all said and done. Nick had a good sprint and finished a spot or two ahead of me. We needed to be more active on the front throughout the race in breaks and also in working to pull back the break that was in our sights for several laps. We needed to better look for the breakaway opportunities which always define the race at this level and sit in the front half of the pack in order to be pro-active and not reactive.