In the 2s, Swamis had Matt Shackley raced all three days, I raced the crit and circuit race, and Pascal Bonaventure raced the circuit race on Sunday.
Stage 1 TT: 4.1 mile rolling TT with a gradual 1 mile climb on DIRT/GRAVEL. Matt decided to use a standard road bike due to the final kicker and gravel road. He kept it upright and clocked a time good enough for 11th.
Stage 2 Crit: The Crit was a (6) corner flat and technical course with a two quick left hand turns before a 500m+ finishing straight. As planned Matt got in a few moves, but nothing was sticking for more than a lap or so. I tried to stay near the front and out of trouble. With 15min to go there was a prime for a full Nalani kit, one rider jumped near me so I jumped to follow and saw that no one else was. I easily grabbed the prime and waited to get eaten up by the pack. With 2 to go I was little too far back and moved up into the top 5 into the double left hand turn. I was on the outside and in good position for the finish, the sprint basically started 400m out of the last turn and I stayed tucked in, I saw a few riders coming up the left side with 200m to go, I had daylight to my right and went for it on the outside, little did I know but we were already charging at about 43mph and unfortunately I didn't have any more gas to give it and cruised in for 11th. Pretty happy with the finish for my 1st Cat 2 race, just need to work on that top end a bit.
Stage 3 Circuit: We raced 16 laps of a 3.5 mile circuit with a few rollers and one gradual climb, but basically flat. We had Pascal, Matt and myself racing. The plan was simple, get Pascal and Matt to get in every move over the first 2/3rds of the race and if it were a bunch sprint they would get to the front and try to lead me around the technical last few corners to the final corner. Pascal attacked from the gun then Matt and Pascal continued to trade off initiating moves or following moves. The three of us got to the front and drilled it to bring back a dangerous looking move that we missed. Then Pascal attacked with a Lagrange rider, they got a good gap just before the Pro 1 break and then peloton pass neutralized us. The gap hung around 2 minutes for 5 laps and then after a heated lap off attacks in the bunch the gap dropped to 1min. So with 1/3 of the race left they were brought back. Matt then attacked with a few other riders. Matt drove it hard to establish a good gap and the small group of five continued to drill it. After a lap or two Matt and another rider popped, and they fell back into the field.
The last lap or two were pretty slow as the peloton was content to let the group of 3 stay away. I moved up into good position then on the last lap everyone was really riding slow and I just set a tempo near the front to be ready to jump when the pace eventually started flying again. Coming into the last few corners I was in the top five or so, some LaGrange guys started drove the pace with 1km to go, they drilled it into the 3rd to last corner and I was 3rd wheel focusing on staying in the draft and followed their line..big mistake they took it wide and went off into the gravel, I kept it upright and jumped back up, this caused a small gap to form and now I was second wheel, but soon after the LaGrange guy pulled off and I was at the front, I have it a little bit of gas to get through the hard left safely and then I planned on tucking in top five out of that turn and hitting it just before the final turn. As I was setting up to take the turn (2) riders jumped late on the inside (I won't name names or teams) and one on the outside. The guys on the inside were coming in way to hot into this corner that riders had hit the dirt on previously laps. They basically took out the guy who had the race line on the outside and I was right behind all this mess with a bike going over my left shoulder. I tried to slow and do some more offroading by taking the it wide in desperation to slow down. Ended up slamming my front wheel into one guy on the ground and endoing onto his bike or knee with all the force hitting my thigh. Luckily myself, my bike, my kit, and newish race wheels are all good. Walking with a limp, but went for an easy spin today and everything feels "ok". Matt and Pascal were behind all this carnage and made it safely across the line with the bunch after a fun and active day of racing. I ended up 20th overall in the Omnium.
Up Next Chris B. and I will be out at Tucson then we will have a full Cat 2 squad racing at San Dimas.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment