One Cup race under the belt. I got home from work and was apparently nervous. Long ago I lost the pre-race jitters but once in a while it comes back. I was on the throne 4 times between 3pm and 4:30 so I got out of the house about quarter to five. Once at a race, my body seems to settle down. The atmosphere this was great. This race always is good but the vendors were out more than usual, there was a band playing. The venue seemed to take a small step up in quality.
The good thing about leaving a little early was seeing the course and the road conditions. The roads were good but the best part was they got rid of most of the traffic cones that in past years have narrowed Park Ave slightly and gave us only half of Lafayette Ave. This year we could come out of turn three and use all 6 lanes of road. I think the race was made easier because of the open roads.
My starting position was lousy. Right near the back. But, I moved up nicely the first few laps. That was surprising because the first several laps are usually balls to the wall. Moving up that quickly was a relief. After getting up front I spent my being content tucked into the pack, protecting a good position. I did cover one move by a CBC rider but I could tell that he wasn't going to establish anything. His jump wasn't explosive and while a small gap opened it was quickly shut down. After that I got a little too complacent and drifted back more than I should. Bad move because as the race went on all the passing lanes I had used earlier were now clogged with other riders. Moving up became much more difficult. I was plenty strong enough but couldn't find the room to move up fast enough. Last lap and I did move up some. Riders began to fade off the pace in places causing riders dodge and weave. This is when the racing gets dicey. I had good speed through the last turn and continued to pick up some places. About a hundred meters from the line I started to get pinched a little by a couple riders so I skipped a pedal stroke. Then off to my left I hear a rider go down close enough that I flinched. That's when I shut off my engines. There was going to be no money so why risk any silly moves in the sprint. I finished 30th or so. Not bad but for as strong as it is disappointing. Several people after the race how hard the race was I had thought it was easy. Someone mentioned we averaged 28mph.
After the race I ran into a couple of my first teammates with the Rockits and ended up watching the races with them. This was not good as I was standing the whole time. This morning my legs are stiff. I'm sure the race contributed but they felt great right after the race. Oh well, it was good to see the guys.
Today's race is Greentree. A course that, in my mind, suits me with a long, gradual uphill to the finish. While I think the course suits me, my results have been less than stellar over the years. I've dropped out before and been pack fodder the other times. We will see what comes about this year.
The good thing about leaving a little early was seeing the course and the road conditions. The roads were good but the best part was they got rid of most of the traffic cones that in past years have narrowed Park Ave slightly and gave us only half of Lafayette Ave. This year we could come out of turn three and use all 6 lanes of road. I think the race was made easier because of the open roads.
My starting position was lousy. Right near the back. But, I moved up nicely the first few laps. That was surprising because the first several laps are usually balls to the wall. Moving up that quickly was a relief. After getting up front I spent my being content tucked into the pack, protecting a good position. I did cover one move by a CBC rider but I could tell that he wasn't going to establish anything. His jump wasn't explosive and while a small gap opened it was quickly shut down. After that I got a little too complacent and drifted back more than I should. Bad move because as the race went on all the passing lanes I had used earlier were now clogged with other riders. Moving up became much more difficult. I was plenty strong enough but couldn't find the room to move up fast enough. Last lap and I did move up some. Riders began to fade off the pace in places causing riders dodge and weave. This is when the racing gets dicey. I had good speed through the last turn and continued to pick up some places. About a hundred meters from the line I started to get pinched a little by a couple riders so I skipped a pedal stroke. Then off to my left I hear a rider go down close enough that I flinched. That's when I shut off my engines. There was going to be no money so why risk any silly moves in the sprint. I finished 30th or so. Not bad but for as strong as it is disappointing. Several people after the race how hard the race was I had thought it was easy. Someone mentioned we averaged 28mph.
After the race I ran into a couple of my first teammates with the Rockits and ended up watching the races with them. This was not good as I was standing the whole time. This morning my legs are stiff. I'm sure the race contributed but they felt great right after the race. Oh well, it was good to see the guys.
Today's race is Greentree. A course that, in my mind, suits me with a long, gradual uphill to the finish. While I think the course suits me, my results have been less than stellar over the years. I've dropped out before and been pack fodder the other times. We will see what comes about this year.
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