Dixie Classic Criterium-May 20th

Ah, rain and wind. If it was raining there would be no race, and driving about 2 hours for a crit that wouldn't happen would ruin the team's day. We took the chance that it wouldn't be canceled and got lucky. There was a bit of wind during the races with a headwind on the final straight away and a tailwind on the backstretch. The Cat3/4 race was one in which I thought I could win. I tried to get in a couple of breaks, but that damn negative racing! What is negative racing? It is when people race to ruin your day and not to have a good day themselves. They only work hard to grab on someone's wheel and once they do they let up. So, it is impossible to make a break during the race because everyone chases and lets up when they catch them.

I won a $10 prime in the Cat3/4 race, which was nice. Alright, now with a few laps to go I start thinking about the finish. I would attack in the tailwind just before 2 laps to go. This would be about a 1:15 sprint. I take off. There is a gap! There is another rider on my wheel. I keep on sprinting and then flick my elbow so he will pull. "Is that the signal for me to pull?" he says. I say "yes!" He get's in front of me and proceeds to go slow. I yell at him that there is a minute left in the race and we have a gap. Fuck!!! We get caught. I am still irritated about the whole situation. I am convinced that I would have won if I was alone. ***what kind of rider doesn't know that an arm flick means pull and he shut down my little break by going slow!? He wasn't working for anyone I think, since he had a generic jersey on. That killed my race. I jumped on the wrong lead out train and finished between 15th and 20th.

Heart broken and tired, I decide not to do the Pro/1/2/3. I do a couple of cool down laps. I collected my $10 prime and then turn around and register for the Pro/1/2/3 race. I figured it would be a good training race and I'd drop out after a couple laps. The race starts and I knock down one of the orange cones in the first turn, "great, this is going to be awesome." The race felt fast, I can't remember much of it. I did a lot of pulling and bridge attempts to the Time Team (a bunch of Pros) thinking I would drop out within the next couple of laps or so. I went crossed eyed within the first 10 minutes of the 50 minute race. I don't remember much. I threw up in my mouth at one point during the race. Three Time riders went off the front at one point in time with another Time rider trying to get onto it. I buried myself to try to bridge or at least launch Eoin McDonald (VT) up to the Time rider that was chasing. It didn't work out, but I was able to grab onto a wheel back in the main group and recover a bit. Fast forward a billion laps... 4 laps to go and there is a $20 prime. I look around and it looks like no one wants it. I launch an attack on the backstretch and form a big gap. I guess a rider jumped on my wheel and ended up out sprinting me at the very end. With about 2 minutes left in the race I knew that was my shot. I had sacrificed my overall placing for the unsuccessful prime. I jump back into the group somehow and try to recover. The Time riders lap us, which means I have one less lap to recover... damn. One rider sprints off the front and no one chases-- that could have been me getting 5th place (or so) overall... damn. I end up finishing 10th-15th. Not too bad... good training for the next couple of weekends!

Go Fast, Turn to the left

It was my first track races this weekend (actually, it was my first time on a fixed gear bike). Although I've never ridden a fixed gear I felt confident I could do it. It wasn't that difficult... like riding a bike. The first event was the Kilo. A 1 kilometer TT which was actually like 0.8 km for this track. I think I finished 16th out of 25, which isn't terrible because I'm not a sprinter. The next event was the Unknown, which is a mass start race with an unknown distance usually about 10 minutes in length. I started in the back and it didn't feel that bad, even though I had to close down super big gaps that formed. I think one or two riders went off the front early (I couldn't see) so I just rolled with the main group at the finish. I felt good about this race, I felt comfortable enough and not super out-gunned. I wish I would have been out front at the start. A couple times I was put into a heightened sense of concern in the corners. Shortly after this race the rest of the events were canceled because of rain. I was pretty bummed because I thought I could do really well in the criterium later in the day.

Man, track racing is pretty simple, fun, and cheap. I think getting a track bike of my own (I borrowed Matt P's bike) would really help my sprinting. Just being in situations where I get the opportunity to sprint would be good (sprinting one time during a 60 mile race compared to about 4 times in one day on the track). Sprinting for town signs and country lines during group rides are fine and all, but I usually forget where the hell they are.

Of Highland and Track and Atlanta

---Some parting thoughts of the Highland Rim Classic.
It wasn't a climbers race weekend. It was a race for those who were at least in shape. The road race and crit results were basically the same. The mountain in the road race was too early in the race for a climber to win. The best sprinter still was going to win. The only race that climbing was a huge factor was the uphill TT.
***Also, I think that I am getting at least 2 more upgrade points because it wasn't an omnium. It was a points based stage race in which you had to do all the events to be in the G.C. I have to double check on how many people were in the GC so I know how many points I get. So, I now have at least 5 points towards upgrading (I need 25 in total) towards moving up to cat2. I'll need to get stronger to race cat2. I'll most likely upgrade during the off season.

---I'm doing some track racing in Richmond VA this weekend followed by a cat3/4 crit. I have never ridden a fixed gear bike before. I am borrowing Matt Phillips bike. It should be fun, but of all the biking disciplines I think track racing suits me the least... along with downhill mountain bike racing. I should be very competitive in the cat3/4 crit.

---The Tour of Atlanta looks terrible. Mostly it is just crits. So, the team isn't going to do it. I wish Edgar Soto was still a stage race. I'll be doing the Knoxville Omnium instead.

Highland Rim Cycling Classic- Day 2

The day of the criterium. It was an eight turn crit that was 0.6 miles long, very technical and the wind was gusty. Gusty enough to knock over a port-a-jon and it did. No one is in it.

Coming into the race I was tied for 3rd overall in the omnium with another rider a mere 1 point behind.

The race was really fast. I thought that something was going to go off the front and the pack would let them go because the pace was so high. Maybe the pace wasn't that fast, maybe it is because this is one of my first cat3 crits. Well, I stayed near the front for the premes just in case something went off the front after the sprint. I even attempted to win a preme, but I didn't. Nothing went off the front. Of the 35 or so riders at the start about 15 riders were able to hang onto the front. Coming into the last 3 laps I started jockeying for position. I sat in 8th wheel. The last lap was pretty much all out and there wasn't any moving up. I finished in 6th, being able to pick off a few riders. I'm alright with getting 6th. I think with better positioning I could have placed much higher. I guess that will come in time. It was a much better race than I was able to do in Athens, GA.

Overall I was able to beat the rider I was tied with, but not able to hold off the rider right behind me in the standings. I received 4th place in the omnium.

I picked up 3 upgrade points (all from the road race) during the weekend. So, I need 22 more to upgrade to cat2. I think it will be close. If I can get in a few more road races this season it will be easier than doing a lot of crits, that's for sure.