CCNS Kermis
Posted: Mon May 21, 2018 10:53 am
CCNS Kermis Race Report Cat 4/5
I did the advanced crit clinic earlier in the day, so I had plenty of time on this course. Particularly the left hand switchback that will lead into a right hand switchback. I found that I could take that left very fast. Being a new member, I had a pair of Minuteman bibs, but the rest of my kit was on order. Brian Haugli offered up a jersey for me to borrow, so I suited up. With 49 in the field I felt that it was important to stay towards the front, but not do the same mistake that I do over and over again which is lead and wear myself out. My goal was energy conservation and to finish with the pack.
With a large field, it felt like the race went: park, sprint, park, sprint. It was a little frustrating because if you got caught up in the park there was a significant yo-yo effect. I was more important for me to be towards the front so I can avoid the park, take advantage of corner speed and conserve energy by not having to sprint. I surfed through the pack pretty well, but a couple of times I got caught in the park and got shuffled back again. With about 6 laps to go, I got shuffled back for the last time and I lost the field. Here we go again. Another race turned into an individual time trial.
At least now I was free to ride the course the way that I can ride the course. I took the opportunity to sweep through every other dropped rider. They would try to stick to my wheel, but I would gap them in the corners and loose them. This went on for the remainder of the race. In the last lap, I passed someone who I don't know. He stuck to my wheel pretty well, and I could see by his shadow that he was right behind me. I soft peddled a little bit in the back half of the course and regained a little energy. I figured this guy's plan was to take my draft and pass on the sprint, so I made my lead out fairly ineffective, and launched my sprint in the middle of the last corner. It worked. 36/49. Turns out the guy that was behind me I may have lapped. Scoring has me finishing with the field, but they were at least a minute ahead of me.
I did the advanced crit clinic earlier in the day, so I had plenty of time on this course. Particularly the left hand switchback that will lead into a right hand switchback. I found that I could take that left very fast. Being a new member, I had a pair of Minuteman bibs, but the rest of my kit was on order. Brian Haugli offered up a jersey for me to borrow, so I suited up. With 49 in the field I felt that it was important to stay towards the front, but not do the same mistake that I do over and over again which is lead and wear myself out. My goal was energy conservation and to finish with the pack.
With a large field, it felt like the race went: park, sprint, park, sprint. It was a little frustrating because if you got caught up in the park there was a significant yo-yo effect. I was more important for me to be towards the front so I can avoid the park, take advantage of corner speed and conserve energy by not having to sprint. I surfed through the pack pretty well, but a couple of times I got caught in the park and got shuffled back again. With about 6 laps to go, I got shuffled back for the last time and I lost the field. Here we go again. Another race turned into an individual time trial.
At least now I was free to ride the course the way that I can ride the course. I took the opportunity to sweep through every other dropped rider. They would try to stick to my wheel, but I would gap them in the corners and loose them. This went on for the remainder of the race. In the last lap, I passed someone who I don't know. He stuck to my wheel pretty well, and I could see by his shadow that he was right behind me. I soft peddled a little bit in the back half of the course and regained a little energy. I figured this guy's plan was to take my draft and pass on the sprint, so I made my lead out fairly ineffective, and launched my sprint in the middle of the last corner. It worked. 36/49. Turns out the guy that was behind me I may have lapped. Scoring has me finishing with the field, but they were at least a minute ahead of me.