I was joined by my SFSU Cycling teammates Christian, Eric, and Bryan. Our race was 3 Laps around the 10-mile course. We all got a nice position and the start line, and started on time after the Men's B. As we started I yelled "Let's Lap the Men's B's guys," and some of the riders laughed. Cool--I'm a funny guy.
First Lap:
I felt good today--legs were spinning fast and I was able to manage to pedal economically. The course began up a slight incline before a really long descent. Then, a right turn up another small incline--which was apparently enough to make some of the (probably) weaker riders breathe heavily. Next, another slight descent which then led into a Paradise-Loop-Type scenery with fast switchbacks and short powerful false flats. After that it leads a right turn into the steep McEwen road climb. The pack slowed down tremendously and didn't use their momentum up the beginning of the climb, which wasted my energy and probably everyone else's. We only went around 7mph and I did get stuck around weaker riders so had to burn a few matches to get around. No one attacked since it was the first lap and we all wanted a feel of the climb.
First Attack: (First Lap Still)
When the road leveled off, and everyone was recovering, I made a move, as I told Christian I'd need to warm-up since I had a short warm-up. I was next to the center line, and the center line rule was in effect. I made a mistake by technically crossing it even though there was enough room to pass the rider on the right. I was the 7th rider so I zoomed on the left and some people called out my number and "center line!". (Two guys from the same team ended up protesting against this move, but the official didn't do anything since it was at the beginning of the race as well as because we were "noobs.") It was my mistake and I'm not going to attack from the centerline anymore. So I guess I accidently attacked and soloed until the Franklin Canyon Climb going toward the start and finish. I guess I was warmed up enough after that.
Second Lap:
I recovered from the attack quickly, then rolled next to Christian, our star climber, and asked him if he felt like he could attack up McEwen. Positive. So we took it easy until the slight incline after the right turn, where I attacked all the way throughout the Paradise-Loop place, and stopped a moments away from McEwen. We even passed several Men's B riders! Now we were on McEwen, where the field was quickly filtering out. For a while, the pace was only slowly growing, then I saw Christian attack and the surge came. Eric passed by me as I was barely hanging on. I got dropped as the incline leveled off and it became rolling hills. I didn't think I could catch up, but I still made an effort to bridge, and worked with someone else as we entered Franklin Canyon before the S/F line. I was closing the gap when they began to surge, so I went 100% and eventually caught up to them just at the S/F line! At this point, only 8 brave riders had made it through the halfway point.
Third/Bell Lap:
I dropped my chain and thought I'd get dropped but the break tempo was rather moderate so I was able to catch on. Nobody attacked our group and nobody bridged to us. We were 8 riders even up McEwen where a headwind attacked us. Then Christian attacks a few miles before the finish, when everyone was recovering from the climb. I couldn't respond so just stayed with Eric and a UC Santa Cruz rider. The top 5 attacked on the final short incline to the S/F with Christian taking 5th, Eric and I raced each other to the finish line and he beat me for 7th, I rolled in feeling proud with our team's effort at 8th place, and Bryan finished the race with a great workout and battle up McEwen!
--D
No comments:
Post a Comment