VanceMac, I think the course had a lot to do with it. Other factors:
- It was the third race in four days for a lot of these guys.
- In my race, the pace was very high throughout with non-stop attacks.
- The course demanded constant attention to hit the lines as most turns really had only one line at speed. I think some guys were too focused on what was going on up the road.
- There was a lot of stupid riding. Ex mentioned the guy who hit him from behind. I had a guy try and dive bomb me on the inside who almost took me out.
The jersey is really the holy grail of amateur bike racing, and smart people will do stupid stuff to get it.
If they hold the race on the same course next year, I won't go. It was a perfect course for my skillset, but breaks just would not stick.