Bicycle Races Are Coming Your Way

• look back- Harlem and CRCA race

  6/23/2007

  
  The last two weeks were a whirlwind- Last Sunday was the Harlem crit, and today was a CRCA race.

  Harlem:

  I was so stoked for Harlem. I was finally going to try out a crit and give it a shot. it was a combined 4/5 field. it was a beautiful day, hot and sunny.

  
  Our team lined our trainers together for the warm up for the pro effect, and we started spinning- our warm up was cut short since we thought our race was started before it actually did, but no worries.

  
  As the race starts, we go into our first turn. Already someone doesn’t hold their line and the go into me. I held my line and didn’t give an inch- the guy went down and we kept going. first lesson- hold your line.

  

  There were alot of short accelerations in the race, after pretty much every turn, but I enjoy that sort of effort profile- quick effort, quick recovery. it gets brutal but it keeps the race exciting.

  

  With two laps to go, the crap hit the fan. coming out of turn 4, some guy in front of me (don’t know who) just fell. we were going straight, why’d he fall!??!!?

  took me and 2 of my teammates down. with two laps to go. ugh.

  I guess that’s the name of the game in crits- they’re aggressive and they’re tough. people get tired near the end and they get sloppy. Luckily, I was barely scratched. I didnt let go of the drops when I fell, and my shifters took the blow. Unluckily for me, both of my chorus shifters where totalled, and i snapped a front spoke. ah well. I walked back to the start and watched the rest of the races.

  

  Big ups to my boy Bill$$ for taking such awesome Pictures. especially of me. way to encourage a narcissist, bro. I didn’t even care that I crashed since he had gotten some great shots of me!

  Since I refuse to pay $340 for a new set of shifters, I ordered them for $200 new @ totalcycling.com; downside is I have to wait for them to get here. I’ve been on my ‘cross bike all week (although it was a rest week, and a much appreciated one).

  Today was a long CRCA race. I realized it was my 10th cat 5/C race, so i figured I’d have some fun with it- try some tactics I’d never tried, be a little crazy. It was a 6 lap race- I rolled up with my obnoxiously green cross bike and off we went.

  Our team kept it aggressive at the beginning to thin out the herd. there were a couple of sketchy riders out there, and I wanted to avoid them. two and a half laps into the race, I see one of my teammates and on of the Juniors, Liam, break off. I followed suite, along with a few other guys. we kept the pace up, and once we got into a good rotating paceline, it was just the three of us.

  I was worried about staying in a 3 man break for 3 and a half laps- I’ve never pulled something like that before (Especially not on a cross bike). I’m usually more of a hang-in-the-peloton-and-do-no-work-until-the-sprint sort of guy, but I figured why not.

  It was a hard, hard effort. we kept the pulls short and sweet, and Kyle and Liam were strong and smooth (much like the drinks i’ll be having tonight). I was losing track of the laps again –

  “is this the last lap?!?”
  “2 to go!”
  “shit….”

  we stayed away and built a pretty good lap- about 1 minute 30 from what I was told.

  As we came around horseshit alley, I heard two dogs on the road- unleashed. I screamed and let out a fury of expletives and the dogs and the owner- mostly to scare the dogs off the road, but also cause I was LIVID. this new leash rule in central park is the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen. It’s a liability to both dogs and cyclists to let them run free like that with an active roadway right in the park! I’m all for dogs running and having a good time, but it needs to be a fenced in area. I heard that one of the female racers had an accident this morning because of a dog as well. Dog owners- please. If you care about your dog, leash them when near the road.

  As we got to the boathouse, kyle asked for a lead-out for the win. why the hell not- he had been super strong all day. I pushed up the hill and off he went. I saw Liam ahead of me- we lined up side by side, I shook his hand, and we sprinted for second.

  

  I nipped him at the line, but it was close. He’s a strong kid, a class act, and only 16- I scared to see what he’ll be riding like in 3 or 4 yrs…

  We had a great break and it stuck- I’d be lying if i said it wasn’t the most exciting (and painful) experience I’ve had in a while. Awesome.

  ok, time to drink!

  .. .. .. ..

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