Mystic Velo, 45+, 12th, extremely cute baby and happy-glow parents sighting.
Consider this another glad-to-be-racing report. This was a race for me to see "where I am" as I've been working hard with pt (for my hip) and in my training to get back to having good form. Bottom line: I know, and like, where I am, and can see where I am going next.
It was a great start with the 3 Amigos lined up together at the back -- it was still close to the front! Good to see and race with shovel -- nice job in the 55+ (that CCB rider is tough as nails) -- and glad that cdr decided to do the 45+!! The pace was fast from the roll off. With Arc-en-Ceil having 4-5 riders in the race, I knew that they would launch attack after attack after attack -- that's their style, they do it well, and they get good results. I was determined to stay near the front and be part of any break that might hold.
Sure enough, there were plenty of break attempts and well timed chasing. I was there every bit of the way for the first 10 laps or so. Then, I wanted to, and felt that I could, take a welcome break, so I drifted back. The attacks still came, but, I was happier watching from farther back and -- maybe this sounds strange -- I would watch how someone off in a break was turning their legs as a signal as to whether they would stay away. If after a bit, the legs were churning well, I would move up a bit and join a concerted effort chase; if the cadence was slowing down, I'd hang back and leave the driving to others.
I felt that I was getting slotted well with respect to the wind, on the left in the back stretch sections and on the right in the home stretch -- ok, cdr and shovel, go ahead and tell me that I had that read wrong!! In any event, that is how I played it and it felt good. There was a fair bit of whippy left to right to left stuff going on down the back stretch -- is there a term for this? Shake 'n bake?
(Fast forward) Approaching 1 to go, I made sure that I was positioned reasonably well. Just after the bell, there is a little bunch up going into turn 1 (or it felt that way up front). Shovel is in front of me -- he loves eating wind and putting on the hurt -- and here comes cdr on the left, moving it out. It was a nice move. I was impressed with how he was going for it. I thought "there he goes again" per his numerous reports/videos and how he does it -- you know, way back, unseen for the entire race (pull off to blow his nose -- saw this a couple of times), and then, at the end, does what he does, shows up and puts down the end-game move to contend.
Everyone responded to cdr and the pace got a bit more animated -- not that it was ever really that slow imho. Just before coming out of turn 2 -- a hairpin -- someone was coming up strong on my left/inside and bumped my front wheel. I've had my bars and body bumped before, but, this was a first for my front wheel. The rider is the current reigning US champion in several track categories (in the female 40-44) and super strong -- is that redundant? My instinct was to back off a little, which I did. No problemo.
La dee dah, I am still upright as we exit turn 3. I stand a bit as we head down the first part of the back stretch to get back into reasonable position. We churn through the chicanish turn 4 and then into turn 5. About half-way between turn 5 and turn 6, which feeds into the home stretch, cdr puts up his hand. I think I paused for a moment as I know that I was thinking "huh, you were looking so good, so really really good; what happened? chain?" I went by, and then put down the burners as I was coming out of the final turn. I passed a person or two or three; I did see one person blow by me at the end; others might have passed me, don't know.
While I was checking out the results, the track champion came over to view them as well. I had seen that she came in 13th. I said to her, how could you let that guy in 12th finish ahead of you? We smiled and had a pleasant conversation; then, I went off to say so long to cdr, the "missus," shovel and His Royal Cuteness.