Minuteman Road Club

I REALY enjoyed this course, maybe because it was a beautiful day (maybe too warm?)

Here are some pictures from the 2 cat 4 races:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/62121616@N ... 707822451/

I started 3 rows back, still paying for my flat tire at Suckerbrook in the ratings. I can't wait til the point update this week.
The guy in front of me fumbled with his pedals at the start, but then I got around him and into some open space on the right and moved up, only to loose about 10 spots by not being aggressive enough going into the first turn.
I think I was about 30 back at that point. I settled in to picking off a person here, a person there. I passed 5 riders on the long drag up to the finish line on the first lap. Then near the end of the second lap, Mark Bernard yelled out that I was in 19th. I'm a much different rider than I was less than 2 weeks ago at Midnight. 2 days at Gloucester and the Night Weasels has given me a lot more confidence cornering with dubious traction. I don't lose as much time to the other 4's in the corners anymore, and then I can pass them on the straights. With one lap to go I was in 9th. I passed a guy with a KISSENA jersey (now I'm 8th), and then up ahead I saw the 7-Cycles jersey of one of my cross-results nemesis's Joe Wignall. I started hunting him down. I don't know if he felt the pressure, or was just tired, but he blew the corner before the concrete stairs and wiped out. Now I was right on his heels as he ran the stairs, then he screwed up his remount and veered off to the left and got tangled in the metal barriers. That was a new one for me, but it put me in 7th. He teamed up with the Kissena guy and someone else for a 3 man chase of me. Holding them off was a challenge that pushed me to hit every corner hard. Somehow I managed to build a comfortable buffer on the last couple turns before the final straight and held them off for 7th.

Nice race!

A Race Report Told in Lap Times

Lap 1: 8:43 (in heavy traffic)
Lap 2: 8:21

Holy crap! I'm making up tons of spots

Lap 3: 8:49
Lap 4: 8:52

Holy crap! I think I'm going to die.

Lap 5: 8:47

Heart rate almost in control.

Lap 6 (final lap): 8:35

Pulled it (somewhat) together to finish (barely) ahead of the race predictor.

Gotta learn better pacing. The heat sure didn't help.

BTW, Mathew Shimoko was impressive in the CAT 4 race. After being held up by an accident at the start that had him at the end of the pack, he fought his way back to 40th.

Started about 5 rows back and got caught up in the pile-up just off the start line. By the time I was moving there was no one in sight ahead of me. I spent all my matches chasing on that first lap and just tried to hold my ground. Spent the rest of the race mid-pack riding with Mason who, like me, is also new to the club I think. Hoping for a smoother start tomorrow. Sweet racing by Chris, one of these days I'll have to grab his wheel. Oh, and yay for flyovers!

Nice racing, fellas. That was quite possibly the best cross course I've ever raced on. Super fast and flow-y and not very technical, which I like. Cheers Pat Goguen on course design. I had a nice start and was in the top 30 but started to fade on the final lap. I was with a group of around 10 and one by one they went by, especially on the barriers. Managed to finish 36, my best result in a major race, but I sort of blew up on the final lap, so bitter sweet I suppose.