And All I Got was this T-Shirt!

After the Masters Road Race yesterday, today was just what this racing brain needed. A fast and flat crit at elevation. Actually while warming up I was a bit concerned since the legs didn't feel all that good. A combination no doubt of the race the day before and the location. But my start time was 10am and I made sure I got there in plenty of time to stretch and try to be prepared to race.

The competition would be stiff....its the Masters Championship so up to the line roll 5 or 6 Safeway guys (strongest masters team in the country along with the AMD squad) Morgan Stanley's 4 or 5 guys and a host of other cat1's and 2's, most I have never seen or raced against before. But screw it...if I get rolled up and smoked, so be it.

The race gets underway and after a "ceremonial" first lap the attacks start and the pace is pumping. Surprisingly the legs are starting to come around, now I just need the lungs to do the same. It was a fast course with good pavement and 6 turns including a chicane. As the race went along, I found myself just holding on to the back of the group. Attack after attack would go off and a group of 5 or 6 got up the road and looked like they would stay away. About 7 laps later the break blew up and the grouppo was once again compacto.

I was now starting to feel pretty good about the race though I could see I was sitting about 30th with the race strung out in a long line. With 10 laps to go, Safeway and Owens Health Care kept launching trying to break things up but I was able to read the race very well and was on all the accelerations before they happened. With 5 to go, the break attempts we being made fast and furious and never stuck. Then with 2 laps to go a huge move came but within the 1 lap to go card, everything was back together and then the race for the line was on. As we came out of turn 2 and screamed down the back straight I knew this was important so I moved my way up into the top 20. Now I as thinking, do I contest the sprint or just be happy with the effort considering these are some of the fastest Masters riders anywhere.

Just as I started to dive into turn 5 in about 15th place "BAM!!!" a tire explodes in front of me and just like that the Safeway lead out of the race is down. So is his teammate and now everyone is trying to avoid the carnage since it happened in the chicane just 150m before the finish line. As I avoided the crash, I tried to jump but having to slow down so much, I was in too big a gear. I managed to get my ass moving forward again and dashed to the line catching 2 more guys and grabbing 10th place!

DAMN!!! 10th in the Masters Championship criterium....I will take it!

Especially since according to Steven from CRC Hill I looked like I was just chilling at the back of the group...little does he know I was hanging on for dear life in a race that averaged 26.7mph.


And thanks to the CRC Hill team of Emily, Virginia, Bridgette, Steven, and EMC's Russ and Annie for letting me crash in the condo Saturday night. A very cool bunch of people.