Raw Seafood Crit

[djming]

Went down to Fall River for the resurrected Raw Seafood Crit. Note to self - when race registration is at a business that distributes seafood, don't park close to the rear of the building (unless of course you really enjoy the odor of low tide..)

Got there early to preview the course and check in with the 4/5 guys. Able to catch their finish to see Robbie take his 3rd podium in 4 weeks!

1st up, 50+. 35 starters and a strong field, with a handful of guys also prepping for GMSR.
A fairly mellow start as everyone got the feel of the course and hill. Hill on this crit is legit! Some solo attacks but nothing anyone is chasing down or bridging to so I stay patient near the front to watch for the right group. Sometime shortly after the 1st prime (lap 5 or 6?) Jay Trojan (Arc en Ciel) gets off the front and Joel Brown (Cliffbar/Pactimo) follows. Curley from Spin Arts also jumps so I grab his wheel and we've got 4 with a gap. We struggle a bit to get organized when two others close in. At first I thought it was the field, but turns out it was just 2 bridging (Bruce Diehl from Buchikas and Marc Cesare from one of the CRCA teams). This appeared a very promising group as Jay, Paul, Bruce and Joel all had solid teammates back in the pack. We got more organized, although on the hill it was tough to keep things together. Not sure how many laps exactly but we were still clear at the next prime (lap 12?) which I thought I had (since it was my turn to rotate up..) when Jay came around me yelling the field was closing. He took the prime but I got on his wheel but nobody else with us so the break was done.
I then made a stupid mistake and relaxed too much, filtering way too far back. Sure enough, a split occurs and nobody is working to close. I get to the front of the chase group and try to get a couple others to help but everyone seems intent to follow. So I just go to into flat out TT mode and it takes over 1.5 laps but I close it down (pulling the split, although did drop a couple). Unfortunately during that time Jay Trojan rolled off the front with 4 or 5 to go and I never saw it, and he stayed away (barely). I had burned my final match closing and was just hanging on for the final lap. I did manage to claw past a few but couldn't quite close for top 10.

One hour later in the 3/4 with Robbie, Mike, Rees & Jacob. Jacob the only one not doubling back. Pace is very briefly mellow so I take advantage to get right to the front. I decide to just stay aggressive for as long as I can, even going off the front and trying to get a break going. But by the first prime reality set in as the pace is staying quite high and I'm in yo-yo mode to continually close gaps to the main field. Jacob and Rees were off in a break and I really wanted to patrol the front of the main field but I just struggled to hold position and that got closed down with I think 3 to go. Survived with the field but just barely.

Back at the car, there were delivery trucks being hosed down and puddles were forming. That just added to the atmosphere although I really felt bad for the couple with what I think was a Tibetan Mastiff (mastiff looking but very furry) who was obviously trying to cool off in the water pooling from the hosed-down truck beds. That must have been a fun ride home!

[rraymond]

First race was 4/5 with a good MRC lineup. It ended up being super short (25 minutes). Put in an attack about half way through and ended up with a few others joining me but 2 of them wouldn't work so we got caught after a few laps. By then the race was almost done so I hung onto the back trying to catch my breath. On the final time up the hill one rider went off the front while his team mate blocked and nobody was chasing so I went around from the back and went after him but he had too large a gap. I kept riding hard and a 545 guy who jumped on me wheel came around me at the end leaving me in 3rd place.

Went for a casual ride with some teammates between races along some crummy pavement then warmed up for the 3/4 race.

Lined up at the front row with Dave. I wasn't planning on doing much here but after the first turn I looked behind me and nobody was on my wheel so I figured I had to work then. Kept it up for 2 laps or so before getting absorbed. Hug out at the back until I saw a few of the strongest riders get form a break so I bridged up to them until they got caught soon after. Blocked a little when Rees and Jacob initially formed their break. Then when they got caught near the end I found myself at the front with 2 laps to go. I figured I didn't have the legs for a sprint so I pulled along the group until the final climb when half the pack attacked and I got swarmed.

Great course though and happy with another podium!

[KTeves]

Nice job Dave, Robbie. Congrats on another podium Robbie! Great report Dave and good for a laugh too.