It was raining off and on which meant that the two sweeping corners were going to be a little dangerous, especially the bottom corner right before the action starts on the climb. Because this course is so punchy, I knew I needed to save every match I could and be near the front on that bottom corner so there is less of a gap to bridge. And because it was a mass start with the Cat 1/3, as well as the Masters...we had 30+ people in our group. Taking that corner in 20th position means you could have 2-3 seconds to bridge while climbing. Once might not be an issue...but do that 12 times where you put down an extra 15-25 watts and it adds up.

The first 3 laps were pretty mellow. The short climbs were being done in the 350-380w range for me and we weren't really shedding any riders. Because we were with the Cat 1-3, they were doing all the work and none of the 4-5's came to the front as we got a free ride on the rollers and front stretch. I made sure to stay in the first 10 spots and was feeling pretty comfortable with how my legs felt.

Laps 4-6 got a lot harder. Some of the 1-3's were trying to make moves on the climbs to soften up the pack but they couldn't get enough people to go at once so it all ended up coming back together on the rollers. Climbing was getting done in the 400+ watt range with some spurts over 500 watts. Still though, I was keeping up with the moves and looking back I was seeing some of my competition lagging a little behind. Part of me was really hoping the 1-3's would just keep the gas down on the rollers and make a permanent split but it wasn't in their best interest to go so hard this early...being that they had to do 3 more laps than we did.

Laps 7-9 were very similar to 4-6, but this is where I had to build confidence in myself. I was starting to feel the accumulation of the race. I was still hanging on in the first 10 spots...pretty much only Jeff and I were the only 4-5's that stayed up there all the time while the rest slowly started to drift farther back on the climbs and chase back on the rollers. Given how the race was playing out, I knew it was going to come down to the last lap...and if it did, the odds move in my favor in a sprint finish. So these laps were just me fighting through realizing that races are supposed to be hard and that there will be a reward at the end.

Laps 10-11 were just staying out of trouble. No signs of any cramps, just don't do anything stupid and waste any energy. After we crested the main climb on lap 11, Lou made a slight move and all the 4-5s came up to the front to respond. It was at this point the 1-3's realized that the next lap and a half was ours and they just got out of the way and sat back.

Once all the 4/5's were at the front to start the last lap I found myself at the front but just cruising a bit. Nobody wanted to come through of course, but I wasn't putting down very many watts and I did want to be at the front at that bottom corner. If this ends up being a sprint finish, I bet anything on myself...so I just needed to mark any moves on the next climb.

Sure enough, Jeff comes ripping by at the base of the climb. Holy fucking King Kong...he just shot out of a cannon. I jumped, but there was no way I could get on his wheel right away as he had a 10 yard gap pretty quick and it was opening up. Joe Tincher came by and told me to jump on his wheel. Classy guy even though he's not on my team. I got on but knew I needed to manage myself for the second part of the climb which is a quarter mile at 8-9%. Joe was burying himself and I couldn't quite hold his wheel. I was hoping Jeff was going to blow up, but I saw him out of the saddle and maintaining his gap. The 4/5 race was strung out behind us. I knew Carl had to be somewhere behind so I was caught in a mental rock and hard place as I saw the win riding away, but a podium spot (which was my original goal) was chasing me.

I told Joe "he's gone" in reference to Jeff, hoping Joe would ease up a bit so I could get on his wheel and stay away from Carl. Of course I couldn't expect him to do it as he was still racing for 2nd as I couldn't gain on him. Joe kept going 10 yards ahead and as we crested the climb I saw Carl about 15 yards back. So while trying not to throw up, I put my thinking cap on. Do I burn a match trying to catch Joe in order to stay away from Carl, or do I wait for Carl, possibly letting Joe get away and just out sprint Carl for 3rd?

I maintained a tempo for about 15 seconds and noticed Joe wasn't getting away and Carl was charging. So I waited. Carl sensed it was his opportunity to jump me, but I was ready and got onto his wheel as he quickly bridged to Joe. Jeff was basically out of sight, so it was the three of us sprinting for 2nd and 3rd. Waiting for Carl allowed me to recover just enough and sitting 3rd wheel now I was in perfect position for the last uphill sprint.

Joe led it out around the bend and Carl jumped just as the incline started. Too early and not enough power...I just sat on and waited a few seconds. The only problem now was that Joe and Carl were riding side by side and with only a single lane (and a narrow one at that), I didn't have a lot of room to operate with. I contemplated going inside to the right of Joe, but there was a curb there...so I went left of Carl instead. I wound it up and was ready to blow by. Then it happened. Just as my front wheel was even with Carl's rear, he moved over a foot left into my wheel. I went down but it was probably the softest 22 mph crash you can imagine. Landed on the meaty part of my right shoulder and my right knee. Didn't hit my head as I was conscious enough to yell out a few choice words. Managed to get me and my bike over to the side and out of the way of the rest of the guys contesting the Master 4/5 race. Then caught my breath and rolled over the line.

Bike is okay. Front wheel is still true, but one spoke has a slight bend in it probably from Carl's skewer. Bibs are okay, and jersey has a slight scuffing on the right shoulder where I landed. Probably good for one more race before it gets thrown away. It's pretty old as it is and has some tears near the jersey pockets anyway.

I had plenty enough kick to come around Carl and open up a big gap. I was already at 950 watts when I went down and didn't fully open it up yet either as I was waiting for clearer space. But that's bike racing. There is a premium on position coming into the finish on this course so there were three options. Come around Carl and Joe early and open up the sprint from farther out, wait till Carl passes Joe and then go late, or force it three wide. Of course, hindsight is always 20/20. The winner of the 1-3 race force his way up the middle three wide with no issue.

Not much. Jeff was the favorite and the strongest guy. He deserved to win with that move and I'm pretty sure there was nothing I could do to stop it. I conserved as much energy as I could by racing smart the first 11 laps. Of course not crashing would help, but my fitness was there. Given the circumstances I was in 4 weeks ago, if you told me this is how my race and my fitness would turn out I probably would have taken it. I was seriously contemplating not racing at all given my training was so poor and I was almost certain I would get dropped from the lead pack halfway through the race.

If you read enough of my reports, you already know the answer. It's always the same.