Island Vista Crit

Started the morning off with a 4/5 race. The confidence was up extremely high for this race, nothing could take that away from me today. After that romp around cold springs last week nothing could stop me this weekend. I was all by my lonesome in the land of surfer dudes and chicks in ugg boots. I felt like I did the morning I raced cherry pie and won….honestly. I got to try out a teammates tubular wheels for this race. What a difference 180psi makes. When I would get out of the saddle I didn’t feel the tires rolling over on them. Usually my tires feel squishy, not today!
The field was made up of 73 riders on a course that is in the shape of a D. The course is by far the best criterium course I have ever had the pleasure to race on. It was as flat as a pancake with next to perfect pavement. I’ve been racing with guys that are either pros ones or twos for most of the season now, and let me tell you it is definitely a wake up call to race a 4/5, with 73 people in it.
I pre-rode the course early in the morning looking for my lines, which direction the wind was blowing, what line would shelter me from it. I selected the outside line for the corners. During the race everyone would cut to the inside as much as possible, slowing the group down in to a slinky type of movement. I would dive into the outside of the corner, never letting up on my pedaling and would fly by about 12-15 people. I think I scared a few because I would ride through that corner past people just inches from tapping bars with them. If there was room to fit a bike, I was there. For the most part I found it easy to move in the pack.
About 10 laps to go I decide to see if I cant start a break. I am sitting about 20 back coming into the last corner before the straight away. I punch it into the corner yelling “left attack” I was hoping a group would follow with me. I am now off the front with the accelerator pegged. I look down to see which guy is going to take the next pull, and much to my surprise nobody followed me. I look back and see that the group is content on having me off the front. I then get out of the saddle and hit it again. The group then decided to chase me. I spent four laps off the front trying to stay away but the pack wasn’t going to have their race spoiled by some redneck from Nevada. I was caught with six laps to go.
I decided to sit in towards the front and rest up for the pack sprint. Sounds scary. I moved myself back to the outside to wind up the legs for my final burst of power. I ended up getting bumped to the side where the curb protrudes out into the course. I let off the pedals for a sec to avoid going into the curb. In the process I got stuck behind the guy who pushed me out. Kind of sucks getting stuck behind a guy who has no shot at the sprint but needs to be in the front.
I ended up being boxed in for the final sprint. I cam in about 15-20th. I was disappointed with this race at first but then looking at it I did really well. Chalk another race into the experience book. Now I was ready to see what would happen in the Collegiate Men’s A race.