Monday, July 2, 2007

Cowtown Crit

This promised to be a good race. I love the course from doing it in the 3's last year. I went in a little cocky, remembering the hill to be pretty easy. Forgot to calculate in: hotter weather, twice as many laps (30), and it's the p1/2's now, dumb*$$.

The pace was pretty fast, Justin was working the front well, a little too well it turns out. He made it possible to sit back a bit.It took me 10 laps to settle in, at which point I attacked the hill two times in a row hoping to break off a piece of the pack, but things weren't sticking. Lots of strong cats, the hill not quite long enough. Next time around Jackson Stewart attacked the hill in front of me, I just about killed myself to stay on his wheel up the hill, down the descent, to the start/finish but we still couldn't lose the pack.

Wohlberg attacked the hill so hard he left everyone, and stayed off for five laps or more, gaining upwards of 45 seconds by himself. Did I hear that right? Ouch...

With 5 laps to go, these are long laps mind you so no need to get excited yet, seemed like nothing was going to stick. Stewart was off the front with another rider (Metromint?) but looked like CalGiant would catch. Tried to just recuperate a bit for the finish. Man it was hot, I was dying midrace but was starting to feel better.

With two to go I was having a hard making up position anywhere but on the hill. Just get out of the saddle and sprint! That was the name of the game now. Haydn came by with a lap to go and said my name, that's all I needed. We made up five spots before the bottom of the hill and Haydn unleashed up and to the right of another ten riders with me and Coble in tow. Down the descent and right turn we were all top ten with Haydn on Chad's (Lombardi and POO ride) wheel. We had 800 yrds, one turn, and a lot of strength left.

Chad's wheel wasn't interested in all that. Blew out right after the turn, sending Chad and Hadyn up onto the curb, me sliding out, and worst of all, Chris flying over me and breaking his wrist. Hadyn still finished 15th after getting off the curb....

Bosch won it! Damn that guy... he had done the Master's race before. Strong like bull, guess coming from the Valley might help with the heat.

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