Chico Omnium

It doesn't really exist, but it would have been a good idea right? Easy to calculate that Eric Riggs wins that since he won Saturday (Hennlyville RR) and was second behind teammate Hollaway on Sunday (Chico Crit). After that who knows: I was glad to top ten in them but not assured a second place in the fictional omnium.

Chico crit was really well put on: good prize money, good crowds especially for p1/2 and the 35+ race. It was really loud! For the p1/2 I was a little cooked from the back to back Master's race, but it was a good field: Hollaway in his blazing new stars and stripes skinsuit, Riggs, Klein, Jameel, strong Chico team, some CalGiant. sure enough it was just a matter of time before a break started. What turned into the winning break was started by Miller (CalGiant) and an Owens guy I think. I worked with a Chico rider to bridge, then came Riggs, then Hollaway, then Kevin King (not Klein) with Timmel (Chico) as well as Jameel. I worked for the first half, but by the time the last 10 laps came down, I was really really cooked and couldn't do much but respond to the attacks. Jameel broke his derailleur, Hollaway won it (respect the skinsuit) with Riggs second for the 1/2. I hung on my 8 out of 8 thing, but it was a miracle I was in there at all... Kevin wanted me to mention that he did in fact work in this break: he did... certainly sustained more than I did near the end.

Master's was a strange one, and I'm looking for tactics coaching here. I planned on a warmup for P1/2 race, but after seeing the payout I thought an effort was worthwhile here. Not sure what got into me: maybe the $20 prime for the first lap??!! Started to attack from the onset after feeling good legs after the RR Saturday. Got a group of 7-8 to go with, but it wasn't organized and guys were trying to sit in so I attacked it until there was a more managable group of four: Joe (EMC), Shawn (MS), and Scott (Mako). There was still some sitting in, but it all stayed together, until we could see the back of the field. I really wanted to attack the break and lap solo, but it happened quickly and the three weren't letting me go, so we all lapped together. I didn't see that Briggs also lapped with Vince Gee and I think Pasco as well? When it came down to a sprint Gee ends up winning it, but I thought he had been lapped. Oh well, was good for 4th... Scott's a good sprinter as well and he was 2nd or 3rd, EMC was ahead of me as well.

Coaching question for this: how to best deal with a break catching the field? I tried to attack through the field so I could continue on but they got my wheel and that screwed up everything? Better to not lap? Then Briggs and others would have caught us anyway. Any advice appreciated....

Too much typing already but: Hennlyville came down to two breaks. Early was a group of 6-7 with Riggs, Klein, Jameel, Obregon, myself, some others. It wasn't working well and was caught before 2 laps were done. Mike Andres rolled away halfway through (2 laps) and was making a really good gap solo. After the feed I got away with Sierra Nevada on my wheel and bridged to Mike. Things were looking good for the podium, and he's a great break partner: very unselfish perhaps cause of his mtb background. He just loved to grind it out. With a lap to go we had a minute on the field and 30 seconds on a chase. I thought we had it made but then Riggs and Klein bridged. It certainly solified the break (over 2 minutes) but I don't like finishing with those two (they went 1/2). Got 4th. Still: good course, good fun.

The women's field in the crit were fun to watch: 3/4 field was more active than normal with Hanan and Laurie (Mako) finishing with a break from the field. Then Vanderkitten and Hanan going 1st and 2nd for a good Port of Oakland finish in the 1/2/3 field. Vanderkitten was away for a while but Hanan bridged to her. The field also eventually caught but the effort killed them.