Here we go again. First race report for 2012. Different format this year for the last Early Bird. More categories and no clinics. So the E4 race was the first one of the day at 8:00am (to friggin early for a crit btw). Did the normal prerace ritual: reg – pee – kit up – pee – warm up – pee. Sorry, I know, to much information. Only had Thomas as a team mate for this race but it was his first race as a 4. So I tried to keep an eye on him.
Got to the line in time only to see a rather small field of 30 or so. The started us pretty much on schedule. I had been sick all week and hadn’t touched the bike since the previous weekend. So, I wasn’t expecting to be ripping anyone’s legs off. Pretty uneventful race. I just settled in somewhere in the middle. Surprisingly, I wasn’t feeling to bad and was really enjoying myself. Started bs’ing and wasn’t at all paying attention to time or lap cards. Happened to look up as we crossed the start/finish and see the 2 to go sign. Oops, time to go to work. Took about half a lap for me to find my happy place in the bunch. On the bell lap I found the wheel I wanted in a quick moving line of about 5 guys. We were moving up steadily till turn 3. There a Tri Valley Velo guy pooched the turn and came back through the pack like a cannonball. Everyone did a good job in avoiding him but there went my leadout. Nuts! Had to put in a hard dig to get back on a wheel by the final sweeper. Found myself on Eric’s (SJBC) wheel on the outside at about 300m out. Wanted to wait till 100m out before I came around him. Never got the chance. The field just ballooned at the front and we had nowhere to go. I was actually worried that we would get forced into the official’s tent. Rolled in on Eric’s wheel for a pack finish. He got 10th and I got 26th. Figure that one out. Not that it matters in the grand scheme of things. Overall, a pretty safe race till the last couple of laps. Thomas did well in his first race as a 4 but, needs to get a bit more comfortable moving around inside the pack.
Mike
John_Berg
At least I hope you looked good…
Reminds me of the Giro di SF, Garry and I got caught behind a crash on the last lap and so we just rolled in together, Garry got 40th or something and I got a DNF.