Bethel M45+. 32 degrees, stiff headwind on the backstretch, 9th place. A popular NYC race was cancelled for today so we had an influx of riders not normally seen around here. My guess on the field size was between 75-90. Coming off a rest week, I wanted to sit in for a bit and then pour it on in the second half. However, one of our riders crashed yesterday and wasn't expected to show. He surprised me when he lined up next to me on a backup bike after getting four stitches in his leg. So the race goes off fast as usual with me and the team leader near the front. About five laps in a group goes off with some very strong riders. I look around and there's nobody else up there, so I had to scrap my plan and chase. They were back within two laps. A little later a big group, almost a mini split occurred, so I chased on. It was too unorganized so it fell apart after a few laps. I certainly didn't help them at all. Attacks kept the speeds up throughout. With 5 to go I made my way up as far as I could get, about third row. With two to go Stitches drills it for a lap and falls off the back. This strings it out until a half a lap to go where it mushrooms into the headwind. I maintain my 3rd row as I just did not trust my fitness to push to the front and still sprint. Around turn four everything opens up, and I drill it. I passed three guys on the hill to finish ninth. I am just fine with that at this point in the season with my delayed training start. I have been working hard with my coach to dig myself out of this hole physically and mentally and it is starting to pay off.
P/1/2/3, 36 degrees, even stiffer headwind, in the field. I'm just not in good enough shape to do much of anything in this race except ride around and maybe take a flyer. There was no flyer in the cards today. About halfway through I started to fade significantly and found myself on the back, at risk of going off. I sat up, ate a gel, swished it down with some Gatorade and pushed myself back into the middle of the field. I made my way up to the front a few times, but the pace was tolerable as several guys went at the gun and lapped the field. I thought the Masters race was harder because of this. Anyway, coming into the sprint I was somewhere in the middle of the field when two riders went down about 50m in front of me. I juked and jived and dodged all the debris and carried my speed to the line to just finish up safely.
The team leader is now the series leader. The previous series leader is now our second guy on the podium. Hopefully I can work my way onto the podium before the end. The team competition is pretty solidly in our wheelhouse.