Concord Crit
Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2011 5:03 pm
1 lap on the course: long 3%ish grade uphill into a very narrow right turn, with a 10-15m 5%ish grade right afterwards. A wide rolling section on the back side, into a downhill 180 degree right hander, then set up for a 90 left, then a 90 degree right in short succession, then a 300-350m drag race straightaway into the finish line. This'll be the third time riding this race. I've been pulled the two previous times...
Because I took a recon lap, I'm lined up at the back. This isn't good. At least my legs are warm. Roll off. Miss the clip in, miss the clip in. Now dead last. Gotta move up. Space on the right, pace is pretty sane. Mid pack into the tight right hander. That was sketchy, but everyone was reasonable. Move up, move up. 15th wheel or so into the downhill. Much better. Lots of these guys are going too far inside on the 180. Passed three guys on the exit. Turn. Turn. Hold the wheel. Geez, I'm getting gapped. Sprint sprint sprint roll onto the wheel. Uphill. Ow ow ow. Keep going. That guy's got his number pinned on upside down - how do you upgrade to the 4s without figuring out how to pin on a number? Probably should stay away from...Hey hold your line! Accelerate earlier out of the corners. Much better - not getting gapped so much on the fast straightaway. Ow ow ow 19 minutes in, gotta be halfway done - 11 laps left. Ugh. Dude - don't brake hard in the 180! You'll... yeah that... This hurts. Cripes, am I gonna last another...uh... how many laps? Gotta be getting close - ugh, 8 to go. Stay near the front, I'm sure it's worse at the back. Crash in the right hander - only the front 10-15 through cleanly - let's drill it. Ow, drilling it hurts. Can only go so fast into the 180 and the downhill's helped a bunch of people back on. Seems like we lost some of the sketchier handlers though. Argh! Hold your line!!! Lean on him, lean on him. We're steady now. That might've been my fault. That guy's got a stormtrooper action figure strapped to his seatpost. Or maybe it's Boba Fett. 3 to go. Whew, a little break. Not too long though. Move up, move up, move up. Bell lap. This is going to hurt, but you're in 10th wheel - good position. Up the hill. Ow. Into the turn...BAM! Blown tire... guy in front of me hit the brakes. Both wheels locked up. Gap. Sprint, catch the wheel up the steep part.. way overgeared... big gap. Close it... they're gunning it... bigger gap. Not gonna happen. Just ride it in... few seconds behind the pack... Oh well.
25th place (out of 60-some starters). Pretty selective. Despite knowing I could've had a better result without the last lap drama (again!), I'm OK with it. I rode well in a hard race on a technical course, and I needed that to get some confidence back after Beverly.
Because I took a recon lap, I'm lined up at the back. This isn't good. At least my legs are warm. Roll off. Miss the clip in, miss the clip in. Now dead last. Gotta move up. Space on the right, pace is pretty sane. Mid pack into the tight right hander. That was sketchy, but everyone was reasonable. Move up, move up. 15th wheel or so into the downhill. Much better. Lots of these guys are going too far inside on the 180. Passed three guys on the exit. Turn. Turn. Hold the wheel. Geez, I'm getting gapped. Sprint sprint sprint roll onto the wheel. Uphill. Ow ow ow. Keep going. That guy's got his number pinned on upside down - how do you upgrade to the 4s without figuring out how to pin on a number? Probably should stay away from...Hey hold your line! Accelerate earlier out of the corners. Much better - not getting gapped so much on the fast straightaway. Ow ow ow 19 minutes in, gotta be halfway done - 11 laps left. Ugh. Dude - don't brake hard in the 180! You'll... yeah that... This hurts. Cripes, am I gonna last another...uh... how many laps? Gotta be getting close - ugh, 8 to go. Stay near the front, I'm sure it's worse at the back. Crash in the right hander - only the front 10-15 through cleanly - let's drill it. Ow, drilling it hurts. Can only go so fast into the 180 and the downhill's helped a bunch of people back on. Seems like we lost some of the sketchier handlers though. Argh! Hold your line!!! Lean on him, lean on him. We're steady now. That might've been my fault. That guy's got a stormtrooper action figure strapped to his seatpost. Or maybe it's Boba Fett. 3 to go. Whew, a little break. Not too long though. Move up, move up, move up. Bell lap. This is going to hurt, but you're in 10th wheel - good position. Up the hill. Ow. Into the turn...BAM! Blown tire... guy in front of me hit the brakes. Both wheels locked up. Gap. Sprint, catch the wheel up the steep part.. way overgeared... big gap. Close it... they're gunning it... bigger gap. Not gonna happen. Just ride it in... few seconds behind the pack... Oh well.
25th place (out of 60-some starters). Pretty selective. Despite knowing I could've had a better result without the last lap drama (again!), I'm OK with it. I rode well in a hard race on a technical course, and I needed that to get some confidence back after Beverly.