A Lot to Learn With This Bike Racing!

A couple of race reports from this week.

Memorial Day Crit, Morgan Hill, CA

Monday, May 25, 2009, 9:30 AM start 
cold, foggy, windy (like 55F) 
40 starters + 2 mentors

I got 30 minutes of warm up in, but could have done a bit more. I had on the long-sleeved skinsuit and fleece knee warmers and I was still cold. The course was right turn, left curve, right hard turn, another right, long straight into the wind, right turn into a long straight to the s/f. The first turn was about 100 yards from the s/f and I still have a few issues with big groups of unknown riders and didn't really want to be in the middle of all that, so I sat on the back. Not the best place to be since it yo-yos a lot more.  About 10 minutes into the race I started to cough due to the cold and got gapped a bit and then in the windy section, the gap got too big and I couldn't catch back on. I sat up as I knew a few others had popped off earlier and ended up working for a few laps with Velo Bella gal who was doing her 3rd ever race. Into the pit until the group came around and then we got put back in when the group came around and I stuck with the group the rest of the way.

Cyclosports Crit, Livermore, CA

Saturday, May 30, 2009, 10:50 AM start (but delayed by about 15-20 minutes)

Warm (maybe 70F), sunny, but very windy.

3 right corners plus one sweeping right at turn 2. Between turn 2-3 was a straight on headwind, probably 15+ mph and very slightly uphill at the end. Between turn 3-4 was cross-wind from about 11 o'clock and more than slightly uphill.

W3/4s combined but picked separately. The field was probably 15-16 total, about equally spilt between the categories. A majority from one team.

25 laps of a 0.66 mile square.

I lined up in the front row and we rolled out and I was right there in the first 5 people for a few laps. Then a Metromint attacked and the others blocked on the front and no one wanted to do anything. I did about 1/2 a lap at the front to pick it up a bit but then moved back. After about 8 or 10 laps, I was moving further back each time on the incline and I finally got gapped and couldn't get back on. The officials said they weren't going to pull anyone so sit up and catch back on. Which is what I did but I only lasted about 1.5 laps and got gapped again on the same place, so I rode it in and finished.

Lesson learned: I asked a couple of good racers and coaches what they thought as they were there watching the race. Both said that if I had positioned myself on the other side of the road on the incline/crosswind section that I probably could have stuck with the group. Instead, I was sitting out in the wind on the hardest section, even though I was on a wheel. I didn't even think about that. Next time I'll know.