Better honest than good...

The title was my motto yesterday at the Timpani Crit. Lots of work at the front, lots of attacks, but not much to show for it except that I finally have some post crash fitness back.

Was a pleasure racing with new teammate John Wilk, I think that we will have an opportunity arise where he can be delivered at the right time and place to make something happen. Unfortunately my string of bad luck continued with two bikes exploding with two turns to go in the last lap. At least this time it didn't lead to a crash, but with my nerves there I basically sat up at the point. John was able to hold on for 14th or so, but it would have been a top ten at least if our mini train had continued. I was probably tenth or so at the time, and was ready to lead John out to the last turn. We did a good job of finding each other last five laps.

Unfortunately the last five laps was very disorganized field-wise. There were three different trains started and dismantled(Metromint's was promising, but it was just the two of them and me) before CalGiant finally got it going last lap. I was able to stay top five in all but the last lap. By the last lap, they had stranded me off the front solo and I had to jump back in at turn one, last lap. Still felt good, and John was right there.

Working backwards in the race, there was a constant barrage of attacks throughout. Some were a little more dangerous, but nothing stuck. It was a little like Memorial Day, where I thought it would be a pack sprint, but there a group of five did get off which stuck (though the back end of it was caught by the field, the front was not). This is a similar course, wide open, hard to get away. I thought team wise we covered pretty well. John got into a couple so I could chill here and there. Still felt great at the end, to be able to stay up front.

Master's was weird. Was in a couple of breaks, but guys weren't willing to go fast enough to stay away. Maybe the EMC guys really didn't WANT it to stay away. I mean, what's the point of saying slow down when we're trying to create a gap. Anyway, I was third going into the last turn, and it was question of handling the bike better, cause Rich went outside as he was dying off and that pushed me out, but Bosch who was second wheel went inside. There he was able to latch onto a faster train that did a lot better than us.

AND: congratulations to Mike H for winning the 3's. Think we'll have him on the 2's team soon! TO domintation of the 3's continues...