This was my first Criterium. It was not a Cat 5, but simply a public crit. There were definitely some people who should have been in the Cat. races (shaved legs, sinewed legs) but The more the merrier. It was not what I expected. I thought it would be drafting all the way in a tight pack. No. The fitness level of the particpants was on a large spectrum. For me it was mostly a solo race with a little drafting near the end. Basicly my start sucked beyond belief. I cranked down and was ready to click in my second pedal when I almost hit the guy in front of me who was going nowhere. I almost ate it and clicked out (both feet) at last second to save myself. I ended up 50 ft behind everyone before I knew it and played catch up the rest of the way. I slowly picked off other racers. Went back and forth w/one rider for the second half of the race. Finally at the end I got strategic and drafted off him until the last two hundred yards and passed him at the end. That was satisfying and what I was looking forward to in this race, the strategic element in bike racing that we don't have in tris. Also my throat got very dry during the race, I drank all my gatorade before the race thinking the race was too short for drinking. WRONG.

Learn how to start, ie pay attention. Train more as always. Bring gatorade or other drink.

ride bike home


I don't know why they didn't track the places for our race, they did for all the others.