CVC Crit

Race: Central Valley Classic Criterium

Date: 03/09/08

CAT: CAT 2

Field size: 14 – yeah, that’s right 14!

Teammates: Kevin

The course: A 0.9 mile course that starts with a 180 degree turn followed by a right hander and then 3 left handers and a 200m straight section to the finish line. All the road conditions were very smooth and the roads were mostly wide except for the 180.

The Plan: With only 14 riders (where was everyone?) our goal was to get me in a break with a few others and hopefully I would have the fitness/savvy to win the race out of the break.

The Conditions: Sunny, warm, not very windy. It was perfect racing conditions.

The Race: The field consisted of 4 BPG riders, 2 Wells Fargo, and 8 single teams. For a break to stay away it would have to have a BPG rider and most likely the BPG rider that they wanted to have in a break.

From the gun BPG sent Aaron Cox off the front for the first 1.5 laps. Kevin did about 90% of the work to bring him back and immediately another BPG launched with Kevin again doing most of the work at the front. I knew we had to get a good break soon or Kevin was going to work himself to death, which he would because he’s such a great rider/teammate. I decided not to follow/mark any BPG rider since I didn’t know which one of them was strong and which one they wanted in a break. I decided to mark Chris Coble from Olympic Club because I was with him at Snelling and both Merco races and I know he’s as strong as an ox.

On lap three with Elliot from BPG off the front a bit, Chris attacked with me on his wheel. We brought one more rider in an aqua kit that I didn’t recognize with us and now the 4 of us had a good gap. Chris and I worked really hard at first to make sure the gap increased so we could stay away. Elliot was work half-assed as he figured he didn’t have to work that hard because he has 3 more riders in the race. The aqua kit guy was the worst at cornering and barely made it through the 180 each lap, but seemed pretty strong and didn’t miss many pulls.

We worked together for 5-6 laps when I started seeing a Metromint guy bridging. Kevin said Minty countered a 2-man pack prime that Kevin won and was motoring pretty well. Kevin wasn’t worried about one man bridging and when I saw him trying I put some bigger efforts at the front because I didn’t want any more guys with us. Unfortunately, the others in the break didn’t seem to care so he caught us and immediately started taking his turn at the front. Minty was very smooth in the corners and never missed a pull.

Fast forward to 3 laps to go because absolutely nothing happened in the break other than everyone working pretty well together and me mopping up the primes. We were starting to get antsy and I could feel it. Just before we made it to two to go, Chris attacks and I’m on him and pull through him after he tires a bit, but Minty also makes it to us, so we all sit up and the other two make it back as well. Chris tries again going through 1 to go, but everyone is on him. I somehow ended up on the front through the last 180 so I moved all the way right and waited for an attack doing 12mph. I thought about going then, but I knew it wouldn’t work so I waited a bit longer. Then, right before the left hander Minty attacks hard and everyone reacts. I hop on Elliot, then switch to Chris, but they’re both going too slow so I go on my own and put in a very strong effort to reel back Minty but I come up short and my wife takes a terrible picture of me 5 meters back as the Minty has his arms in the air for the win. I settle for second place. Kevin sweeps up 6^th place overall, 1^st out of the pack thanks to a generous tow for a 1.5 laps by Clint from BPG.

Thoughts: I really wanted the 5-man break to come down to a drag race because I knew I could outsprint the others. I thought I marked the right guy, but I was wrong so you live and learn. The good news is, between my 2^nd and Kevin’s 6^th place, and two prime wins each we took home a combined $119, $10 gift certificate, and 4 high-end tires. That’s some good loot and made the 300 mile round trip drive worth it.

Results: 2nd