BAM! I got legs!
FINALLY!
Two Prime sprints and time at the front of the race. It was a hectic day with a very slow bottom corner followed by a long uphill drag to the line but the power is coming and I am feeling very confident on the tires and wheels.
THE LOW DOWN:
I awoke to the forward surge of the parking brake. The car felt hot and stuffy, I guess that's what compression tights do to you when it is 85 degrees outside. The Women's Pro race was already on course so as soon as the mid-afternoon nap-fog lifted, I was out getting bikes off the roof and kitting up. I was a bit worried though that I hadn't eaten my sandwich with enough time to digest before the race (usually 3hrs is the absolute limit, 4hr is preferable) so I was still feeling slow during the prep phase.
The course featured the most hotdog shape of any of the criteriums all week. Lapping around a small park, the start-finish line was positioned 600metres from the last corner, 3/4 of the way up the climb (3-4% grade). The top left hander was flat and broad so bunching of the peloton was minimal but it still proved a good place to move up. Mind you sometimes the side to be on changed. Down the backside, the peloton weaved right, left, right, left, and left again leading into the 2nd and final corner. The inside was the side to be on except you had to be good enough to slot in and avoid the pinch as the front riders could take the corner at close to 30km/hr. So it was a very uphill/downhill criterium.
Early on in the race I knew that I was feeling good compared to a lot of riders so I was fortunate to ride the wave very well and stay near the front. This allowed a few small breakaways to occur, out of which I scored two prime sprints. Both occurred out of small breaks of six riders and with small great confidence in my equipment, I was able to gap most of my breakaway companions out of the bottom corner. The first time no one could match it and I took off but the second prime was for quite a bit more so 1 rider held my wheel. He attacked right out of the corner as I knew he would so I let him give the draft until 200 metres when I easily came around. The announcer was screaming about Exergy all day. It was rad!
Labels: Road Report