Race Day #2

Race Report #2

Up by 8 am rained most of the night and it's still grey out and looks like we are in for more rain. Breakfast coffee and time to wash some of the dirt/sand and what may have poisoned me off the bike.

Back in the shammy and off to day #2

Feel a lot better but sore and a bit tiered. To day should be interesting.

12/07
Olen
78km (17 4.5km)

Got rained on, on the ride out to the race, wet bottom wet shoes. Boooo.
Had a terrible start position, near the back of about 90+ riders. Did not get a chance for a warm up lap so going in to this course a bit blind.

And we are off...... Sprint in to the first corner slam on the brakes, sound familiar? Well there is a lot more of this to come.
Its fast and the attacks start right out of the corner, I'm there so i go with it and am in a break, more speed lifts cobble part more speed lifts and from the front I can take the next right hand turn at speed, we head in to the trees and wet pavement ( i remember lesson 1 keep your moth shut) the break comes back and I'm sitting top 10 long country road with a bumpy left hand turn in to a small over pass clime with a quick right hand turn a fast down hill in to a swooping left hand turn again a bit easy to take at speed near the front but then the brakes are on as we approach a right hand turn that is so sharp it heads nearly back in to the same direction we just came from.

From an almost stop to a sprint we head along a small country road with potholes mud and bumps, single file fast in to the head wind i take note of this. This is going to hurt over time. A slight right hand turn with a huge bump, sprint still single file another right hand turn in to a long up hill over pass i come up over this at the front did not mean to it just happened, I'm feeling pretty good. A fast down hill in to a swooping left hand turn on to brick paving that takes you in to the long long long finishing stretch.

The next few laps there are more attacks and chases and i go with all of them and stay away for a bit with the breaks and chase groups. Yesterday a break went and today's course is perfect for a break, and one goes but I miss it. None of the chase groups are making it across so I settle in and try to stay near the front i find it kind of easy to move up but suffer like hell ever time through the back stretch in the narrow bumpy windy section that leads in to the second overpass, I start to suffer a bit on this part, three laps to go a gap opens up leading in to the over pass I jump around and go to chase it down with girls yelling like crazy behind me ( who knows what they are saying I tell myself they are words of encouragement), we take turns and catch the pack as we come through the start finish a sigh of relief but then there is an attack and we are sprinting out of the corner and it is strung out again. This is suffering.

With two to go it starts to rain. I think i let out a whimper this time going over the second overpass. I hate you over pass yes i do.

One to go. Ok I am still with the pack I tell my self just a bit more, you still have it, now make your self suffer instead of letting others make you suffer I start to make my way up towards the front from near the back of the pack. Picking people off where I can. Last time over that evil overpass. Its a bit sketchy now due to the rain and people start acting crazy approaching the last turn in to the finishing stretch I know I am not close enough to the front to contest the sprint so I keep it safe in the turn, the hammer is down and I start wheel surfing making my way up but never get out of the saddle to sprint. I finish 43rd.

End of day 108k

Lesson # 2
Don't go so hard in the beginning just because you feel good save it for when it counts.

Two days off and then race on Wednesday!!!