Yesterday was a great day for a race in Edwardsville.  Perfect conditions.  This was my first time at this race.  The first couple years of its existence it was held in late June or early July.  Each time it was too close to my trips to France and I was unwilling to risk crashing so I skipped the race.  Some people had described the course as a parking lot crit.  It is held on the roads in a parking lot but I found it to be an entertaining course. 

I showed up and I see Mark carrying his spare wheels.  Nothing special there until he pulled his shirt tight and shows this god-awful looking protusion coming from his collarbone area.  He was remarkably calm about it and wasn't in a great deal of pain so I don't know if it was broken or not.  My untrained eye finds it hard to believe that it wasn't broken.

My legs felt stale as I spun around before the race.  I didn't know what to expect once we got going.  Getting going proved to be problematic.  I lined in the third row behind an unknown guy in a generic jersey.  My inner voice said to be somewhere else but I didn't listen.  Sure enough, the gun sounded and he couldn't get in his right pedal.  Guys went streaming by on both sides as he fumbled.  Thanks Mr Gray Jersey Guy.  I realize it can happen to anyone but damn its frustrating to get caught behind someone that cant get in the pedal.  Right from the gun I was at the back of the pack. 

Mesa and Clubbers kept the pace high and moving up was not happening.  I decided to wait for an easing of the pace and hoped nothing got away while biding my time at the rear.  Twenty minutes I finally was able to get mid-pack.  As the race went on I felt better and better but never felt confident enough to try and hard work off the front like last week.  Aaron moved up at the end and Cooper drilled it on the last lap while I continued to sit about 13th.  I could have probably been more aggressive but I was comfy.  Comfy doesn't get results though.  Cooper pulled off before the chicane and it was up to Aaron at that point.  Two Mesas got him in the finale but he hung on for third.  I moved a few spots after the chicane and snagged 10th.  The 10th is nice but unsatisfying considering how passively I rode the whole race.

Good stuff:  Finished top 10

Bad stuff:  Didn't do any work and didn't handle the chicane well.  Kept having to close small gaps that I would let open up.