Teammate Andrew and I did the SoYoCo circuit race, 2.5 mile course and 6 laps. Two pretty tough corners and a nice, steep hill maybe 100 m before the finish. Pretty boring actually, after the first lap. There was some seriously sketchy riding going on that lap. There was a steep down then an immediate 90 degree right turn on rough and gravely pavement. No one was holding their line through the turn, I saw guys off the road in the grass and was thinking to myself that I really need to get to the front for that turn. Then there was a crash at a second tight turn, I squeaked by with just a slight elbow bump with another rider doing the same. I was sitting just in front of Andrew up until that crash and I guess I got through without too much issue and he got caught up in it.

I caught the front guys and the pack was whittled down to maybe 15 for the rest of the race. Next 4 laps were pretty uneventful. A little before the last lap 2 guys sort of floated off the front. I didn't think much of it on the penultimate lap, they weren't far and weren't attacking. Next thing I know early-ish in the last lap, they're way off. We talked and I tried to make an effort to get them, but no one else was willing to do any work. Then I thought it sounded like some guys would be amenable to a chase and I tried starting with a good pull but when I tried to peel off everyone just stayed on my wheel as I eased. I had drifted left, everyone followed in a neat line behind, so finally I just swung right hard to get them off my wheel. I felt like that scene in American Flyers when Kevin Cosner and his brother are riding and the front guy is trying to shake the back guy off his wheel. I was third wheel coming into the final turn into the hill and finish. Attacked a quarter of the way up and was leading the pack by a good bit (10m maybe) at the top, kept the power down and maintained the lead over the line for third.

Found out after the race, one of the guys in the "break" had a few teammates at the front of the pack who slowed us up to let him get away. Good move, and stupid on my/our parts for not doing anything about it. Learning experience again for me. Won't let that happen again! Crazy how you can "know" tactics while watching races with commentators on TV, but in a race, I know nothing yet.

be smart, don't just sit in the pack expecting everyone else to pull in breaks.