Finally, some nice weather for a race. The invivodata team actually had some numbers here, with four of us in the start grid. We didn’t have much of a plan, besides John perhaps getting into a breakway. I was still feeling the lingering effects of a chest cold, so I didn’t have high hopes to be much of a factor. Right away I put myself behind the proverbial eight-ball when my cleat disengaged from my pedal on the first short climb, and I had to chase like mad to get back with the main group. I managed to recover before the first real climb, though. The pace evened out, and the climb didn’t feel bad at all. I spent most of the lap near Stuart and John, near the front. The pace on the descent was uneven, as usual. John attempted a flyer during the second lap (I think), but I had drifted toward the back, so I wasn’t going to contribute much to the effort by blocking. He was reeled in, and while a Pro Bikes rider kept us honest on the climb, there was some serious lollygagging on the back half of the course.

At some point, another break went. I wrote it off initially, but near the end of the lap, I was at the front, chasing with John, Stuart, and Ben Stephens. The break was pulled back, and I found myself near the back, having not pushed back into the pace line. There appeared to be a few half-hearted escape attempts on the climb, but nothing stuck. The fifth time up the climb didn’t feel very good at all, though I didn’t position. As we approached the final climb on lap six, things got quick at the front, and the group (which was probably 20 or so) was shattered. A group of four went (including Stuart), with another group of four or five behind. I struggled to stick with the back of this group, but remained in touch. Until the top. Everyone else pushed it hard, and my legs threw out of the anchor and I went backwards. I tried to bridge back on the rollers, but that wasn’t happening. The climb had decimated the group enough that no one passed me, but I finished probably 20-30 seconds behind the group, which came together before the finish.

I’m not terribly disappointed, given that I didn’t feel great at the start. I need to spend more time near the front, as I could have provided some support when John or Stuart went up the road. As I’ve said before, I’m still lacking any sort of pop in my legs. This will be my last race, outside of the Oval, until the Oakmont crit in June, so I have plenty of time to do intervals, I think.

Posted on 19 April 2009