Bikeforums.net is a forum about nothing but bikes. Our community can help you find information about hard-to-find and localized information like bicycle tours, specialties like where in your area to have your recumbent bike serviced, or what are the best bicycle tires and seats for the activities you use your bike for.PedalMasher
05-01-06, 09:19 PM
So I decided to enter the monday master's series at PIR tonight. I was going to wait until the Tuesday series, but I figured since I've never raced outside of cyclocross it might be a good idea to get at least one race in the novice masters under my belt before I attempt the infamous Tuesday 4/5's. My legs were also fried from yesterday, but they were feeling good in the afternoon so I figured what the heck.
The nice lady takes my $ and I line up with the others for a 6:15 sharp start time. Cold, cold strong westerly wind which will make for a strong headwind finish. 24 riders, some looking really mean and fit, others looking like they need some miles! From ages 30 to about 50.
I was warmed up so I decided to stay near the front the first couple laps and found myself pulling into the headwind on lap 1 and 2. Feeling a bit used, I drift into the middle of the pack on the next few laps. I'm thinking to myself I'm feeling better than I should be after the monster cookie yesterday. 5 laps go by and all of a sudden this big guy attacks right before the bell lap. 3 men give chase but totally die on the backstretch. Again I find myself at the front of the peleton catching the chasers. So I figure what the heck, I'm gonna catch this guy out front. So I bridged up to him, look back and 20 riders right on my tail... Bell lap, I'm thinking I can win this thing.
Quarter mile to go we turn into the headwind on the finishing straight. 2 guys attack way too early. I grab the second guys wheel. The 3 of us have a small gap - about 300 yards to go and suddenly a train comes up on my right about to pass. Is it to early to sprint? Hell, I don't know, it's my first freakin' race! So I pull out into the wind and turn on the gas. I look for the finishing line and throw the bike out front like I know what I'm doing. Absolutely exhausted, I look back and realized I had a nice gap at the finish and I won. Don't know how I did it, but somehow my tactics bore fruit.
Thanks Bob Roll, Paul Sherwin, and boys, couldn't have done it w/o ya.
The nice lady takes my $ and I line up with the others for a 6:15 sharp start time. Cold, cold strong westerly wind which will make for a strong headwind finish. 24 riders, some looking really mean and fit, others looking like they need some miles! From ages 30 to about 50.
I was warmed up so I decided to stay near the front the first couple laps and found myself pulling into the headwind on lap 1 and 2. Feeling a bit used, I drift into the middle of the pack on the next few laps. I'm thinking to myself I'm feeling better than I should be after the monster cookie yesterday. 5 laps go by and all of a sudden this big guy attacks right before the bell lap. 3 men give chase but totally die on the backstretch. Again I find myself at the front of the peleton catching the chasers. So I figure what the heck, I'm gonna catch this guy out front. So I bridged up to him, look back and 20 riders right on my tail... Bell lap, I'm thinking I can win this thing.
Quarter mile to go we turn into the headwind on the finishing straight. 2 guys attack way too early. I grab the second guys wheel. The 3 of us have a small gap - about 300 yards to go and suddenly a train comes up on my right about to pass. Is it to early to sprint? Hell, I don't know, it's my first freakin' race! So I pull out into the wind and turn on the gas. I look for the finishing line and throw the bike out front like I know what I'm doing. Absolutely exhausted, I look back and realized I had a nice gap at the finish and I won. Don't know how I did it, but somehow my tactics bore fruit.
Thanks Bob Roll, Paul Sherwin, and boys, couldn't have done it w/o ya.