Attleboro crit

[Len_E]

"There are 2 kinds of riders, those who have crashed and those who will crash." When Rich said that months ago before the season kicked off I thought to myself that maybe all the crashes I had when I raced mountain bikes 15 years ago might put me in the "have crashed" category and I might skate by without a crash. Well, I was deluding myself. Having had no real road racing experience (only a couple of Wells races and hillclimbs) I was clearly in the "will crash" category. Today I graduated.
I can't claim I wasn't warned - thanks Michael and Rich for the warnings about turn 2 - so at least I knew what was likely to happen. I didn't expect to land chest-first, skittering along the pavement leaving what little chesthair I had embedded in the asphalt.
The true shame of this crash is that it was borne out of stupidity (my own) and inexperience (also my own). I memorized Michael's caution about that turn and took several laps before the race. I then had 17 laps or so in the race to know the difficulty of that corner. Yet, when a 5-man break took off after the 3 leaders I thought that I had to chase it down because Joe Rano was in it and my strategy was to follow him or Curley. Unfortunately, at the start of the 12th lap I got caught in the middle of the pack when the 5 chasers bolted at the top of the small hill before the first turn. I got out of the pack at the top and began to bridge to the 5. They made turn 2 a few seconds ahead so I pushed a little more and since I was unaccompanied I figured I could take turn 2 with some speed. Too fast and a little wobbly from hitting a small patch of sand and I couldn't complete the turn hitting the curb and going over the bars hands and chest-first. I heard lots of ooohs and ahhhs from the pack as they passed my carcass. Next thing I know little kids are yelling and running toward me and the homeowner whose stonewall stopped my slide came running out of her kitchen to see if there was blood on her lawn. The police officer at the turn called the ambulance and I told him to cancel it, I was ok. After assessing my bike - chain and handlebar problems - I scampered back to the neutral area mechanic who fixed up my bike and I jumped back in the race although I was 2 laps down. A bit bloody and somewhat chastened, I finished the race.
What the real racers knew that I did not was that the breaks were going to be caught. Too hot, too many good riders in the pack and too limited a course for a break to stay way. I didn't need to give chase and was well-placed for most of the race to that point and felt really good. Oh well.

Todd and Doran were in the Cat 5 pushing the pace when I left. How did it go fellas?
And I saw Team CF on the registered list - how did it go?
-Len

[taudep]

Nice report. Glad you're walking away from that.

We both posted up at the same time, so I have a different thread for my report.

[rusto]

Yeow, Len glad you walked away from that one!

[Bruce]

Len -- I like the way you;re racing. You are obviously doing your homework in knowing who is who, and who constitutes a threat to stay away, sprint, etc. Admire the fact that you were committed to going with any move that contained horsepower -- and tried to execute. I've been in that 45+ race three times and the exact same pattern developed with a break getting caught. Unfortunately I've also seem many people crash out on that turn. Too bad. Hope you're okay.....Rich has some good advice about getting back on the horse.

Bruce

[rmazzola]

Len,

Ouch!! Sorry to hear that you've joined the "other club".

Hope you've recovered.