Originally Posted by
Inquisitor.
I think I've read your advice about practicing moving around in the pack in your blog or another forum post. I've done this in a couple races, and definitely plan on more in the future. This was a Cat 4/5 race in the local series. I was at the front marking my top 3 contenders in the series, and trying to get in a breakaway with the right composition to stay away. I definitely have more leg strength than race experience. In the Prologue TT for the series, I beat everyone including the Cat 1/2/3 field. Maybe with a bit more experience I would have instinctively tightened my turn in the moment I had to react when he changed his line, but I'm not there yet.
Anyway, this crash has reinvigorated me to train harder and race smarter. I greatly appreciate the advice in these forums, and I guess I just needed to vent a little.
Okay so obviously you have a strong motor there. And venting is fine, you just have to brace for the feedback.
Also it makes sense to mark the others around you in the standings. Playing around in the field wouldn't make sense for this particular race.
Overall you sound fine - no head injury, no broken bones, so you're not going to lose much fitness per se. Your bike, okay, frame and some parts get written off, but when you get back on a bike no one can take away your power/talent.
You also show a level of self awareness etc that I think is commendable. A lot of riders would have been extremely defensive but you took the feedback in stride, at least from what I can see.
If you learn the race craft part pretty quickly I figure we'll be reading about you next year in Velonews. Work on the close quarters stuff a bit, mix it up intentionally, and you'll be good.