savannah stage race - and sometimes your outclassed
06-17-07, 08:30 PM
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savannah stage race - and sometimes your outclassed
So thursday night a friend of mine(really strong cat 2) calls me and says "wanna do a stage race in savannah this weekend" I say "maybe, is it flat?" he says "yeah, if you want to go registration closes in 30 minutes". I flip a coin, heads it is looks like im going, I come to find out that the 4/5 field is filled up, but the 3/4 field isnt. Guess I'm racing with the 3s and 4s, or maybe 60 cat 3s and me. I was really planning on just getting in some racing in before Dahlonega which should be my race.
first race is a very untechnical crit with a long dragstrip sprint with a tailwind, I'm not feeling too hot on the start line so I sit in a hope the feeling leaves. I sit in and sit in, start feeling better and decided to sprint for a prime, since I didnt do the TTT I'm not in GC contention but decide to spoil someone else's day, second in it wooohooo 3 seconds off my time. but I blew up in the sprint and find myself on the back on the rivit of getting dropped before the next turn. the sprint comes around and I start to loose gas fighting for position @ 600m couldnt get out in the sprint and took 13th out of maybe 60.
Sunday was an attackfest 3k-a-lap crit, simply attack after attack after attack and counter attack. I anneciated a few but as soon as the field went into the tailwind I was easy pickings for being brought back. I was sitting in good position (5th wheel @ 2k)on the last lap then a break started to go, and I made a horribly dumb mistake I tried to bridge to it, I noticed a guy was coming with me and dragging the field with him, I try to shake him, darting back in forth accross the road sprinting into a headwind. I start to hurt sit up and Ive brought the field most of the way to the break. then someone else brings it back.
were at 1k and I'm not recovered enough to really fight for position, I loose position to about 40th wheel, but ive got a good line into the sprint, the sprint is ~500m out and people start to go, I try to stay sheltered but my open line for the sprint has left me in the wind. Im forced to go at 400m (I cant sprint for 400m, I sprint for maybe 100 then give up, and sit up.
Two things Looking back onto were dumb, That break wasnt going anywhere those guys had been attacking all day and the run-in for the sprint was going to be took fast for a break to get away with only 2k to go.
Why oh why did I think it was a good idea to sit up in the sprint, I could have made top 10 or blow up and 100m, or got a good sprint workout in, but I didnt. Sometimes your just mentally beat at the line.
first race is a very untechnical crit with a long dragstrip sprint with a tailwind, I'm not feeling too hot on the start line so I sit in a hope the feeling leaves. I sit in and sit in, start feeling better and decided to sprint for a prime, since I didnt do the TTT I'm not in GC contention but decide to spoil someone else's day, second in it wooohooo 3 seconds off my time. but I blew up in the sprint and find myself on the back on the rivit of getting dropped before the next turn. the sprint comes around and I start to loose gas fighting for position @ 600m couldnt get out in the sprint and took 13th out of maybe 60.
Sunday was an attackfest 3k-a-lap crit, simply attack after attack after attack and counter attack. I anneciated a few but as soon as the field went into the tailwind I was easy pickings for being brought back. I was sitting in good position (5th wheel @ 2k)on the last lap then a break started to go, and I made a horribly dumb mistake I tried to bridge to it, I noticed a guy was coming with me and dragging the field with him, I try to shake him, darting back in forth accross the road sprinting into a headwind. I start to hurt sit up and Ive brought the field most of the way to the break. then someone else brings it back.
were at 1k and I'm not recovered enough to really fight for position, I loose position to about 40th wheel, but ive got a good line into the sprint, the sprint is ~500m out and people start to go, I try to stay sheltered but my open line for the sprint has left me in the wind. Im forced to go at 400m (I cant sprint for 400m, I sprint for maybe 100 then give up, and sit up.
Two things Looking back onto were dumb, That break wasnt going anywhere those guys had been attacking all day and the run-in for the sprint was going to be took fast for a break to get away with only 2k to go.
Why oh why did I think it was a good idea to sit up in the sprint, I could have made top 10 or blow up and 100m, or got a good sprint workout in, but I didnt. Sometimes your just mentally beat at the line.
06-18-07, 07:13 AM
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Tough luck man, I can relate to the sitting up in the sprint. I've done that several times, and it always sucks to know you left something out on the course.
It's right up there with really long, tough, races and thinking "I'm not good enough, I should just quit...blah blah blah." Doubt is a b*tch, and I'm trying my best to replace it with anger
It's right up there with really long, tough, races and thinking "I'm not good enough, I should just quit...blah blah blah." Doubt is a b*tch, and I'm trying my best to replace it with anger
06-18-07, 09:35 AM
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I don't know why they did the crit course "backwards." The headwind on the S/F side makes things more interesting. But then if I'm really going to complain it'd be about the women's open category (pretty much all 1s and 2s) and nixing the crit in Forsythe.
But hey, at least you got out there, worked hard and learned something in a tough field. I decided to save my money for a huge car repair bill that is looming, because women's open = no money for my cat4 self.
But hey, at least you got out there, worked hard and learned something in a tough field. I decided to save my money for a huge car repair bill that is looming, because women's open = no money for my cat4 self.
