McLane-Pacific Crit

Cat 2 only race - 35 laps of a 0.8 mile technical loop

 

Up in Merced, CA for a weekend of racing.  That's central CA, folks.  word.  Anyway, today was the crit.  Things were all hunkydory up until 2 laps to go.  i was just hanging out in the pack pretty much waiting for the inevitable field sprint, and that was that.  floating up and back in the pack.  we had radios this time, so that was cool.  sean was on the sideline letting us know what he saw, etc.  toward the end of the race, and i'm moving into position.  at 6 to go, it's really time to be seriously battling for the top 20.  i got there just fine - not spending too much energy to get up there - so all was peachy.  going into 3 to go and i was in the top 10 - pretty sweet.  the pace slacks for an instant and i was just a millisecond too late in keeping a couple guys coming around my left to swarm.  that was annoying, and now i was like 15th or so.  ok, just got to work here.  2 laps to go and the pack is a melee in every corner.  i'm fending ok, but still trying to find those last extra spots.  we're at 1 and 2/3 to go - right into a wicked little chicane in the course - certainly the most technical part of the course.  crash right in front of me and just slightly to the right.  i'm still up, but have to scrub just a bit of spead to get around to the left.  okay - no time to panic - it's still winnable.  sprint to get back up - but now i'm like 20th.  half a lap more, and there's another crash.  this one was right in front of me, but about 2 riders up.  more brakes and sprint like mad to stay in.  all the while, sean is calmly talking into the radio that i can still win - i've got to get into position.  of course i know this, but it's good to hear more than just 1 voice in my head sometimes...  now it's bell lap, and the chances are slipping.  i'm not done yet

 

but then there's another crash in the chicane and there's literally a bike cartwheeling right in front of me.

 

game over - i'm finished.  i had to come to almost a dead stop to avoid this one.  i try getting back connected to the front for about 5 seconds, but there's just no point.  my sprint was spent on the first 2 crashes, and the 3rd one was just the death knell.  i just roll it in to finish the race.  ticked about the finish, cause i was feeling pretty good today.  but you know what?  that's bike racing.  being on form is only one part of the equation to winning a race.  tactics is another.  luck is the final piece.  the form was good today.  the tactics were mostly solid.  i could have held top 10 better and that might have avoided some of the trouble - but seriously, those crashes were at the front of the field with people simply battling for the best line - really pretty silly crashes.  but the luck just wasn't there in the end.  3 strikes and you're out.  pretty happy to have stayed upright, though.  tomorrow will be a different kind of race entirely - 96 mile road race.  and maybe in the cold rain.  not my favorite.  that's one reason i prefer to race inside in the velodrome...  oh, well.