Thanks.

The video took basically all my free time this past week since I transferred the files to my computer. Sunday I worked a race and Monday I was doing a lot of follow up work, but Monday evening I thought of the story/theme, pulled the video I wanted, and that started the framework. I worked a couple hours each night, one night I was up really late (1 AM?). The version online is the 5th version of the clip, the first 3 were significantly altered - the first version was terrible, the last two were mainly typos and filling in some missing info in the credits (missed a rider or put them in the wrong order). The promoter made a point of asking me when I'd put the clip up and so I decided to push a bit. Plus I'd finished all the trailer work etc so I had time again. I finished the last version Sunday; I figure I have 15-20 hours in this one, plus the computer time. Computer time means importing files to iMovie, "sharing" aka creating the clip from iMovie five times, and then uploading to YouTube, each of which are overnight or multi-hour jobs for my computer, drives, and internet connection. Relatively speaking this was quick, simple. I noticed a few things I'd change on the live clip if I could but it's okay, it's out there now.

There's usually a back story to my choices in terms of editing. In this case I've been trying to hammer home the idea of sheltering to the side. Many local riders I know try to shelter by riding behind someone, not realizing that the wind isn't really hitting them head on. This relates to the Tuesday Night races where I'm trying to help the new racers. I even have a Cat 3 teammate that even when he knows which side the wind is on he still messes it up, and then says "I knew the wind from from there but I kept forgetting to set up for it". Then he gets shelled and demoralized.

Therefore I tried to find situations where I screwed up the shelter thing and tried to correct things.

Also, at that same course, I've jumped into the wind side for a bunch of previous sprints, and it really irked me that I made such errors. This time I did it right, waiting enough to get to the correct side, even though I felt like I was running out of time. Had someone asked me when I jumped I'd have said "about 50-75 feet after I got shelter". I didn't realize I jumped at pretty much the same time I got to shelter.

I didn't have room to say it but a big part of the sheltered jump was that I used the four riders to the right front of me as shelter as I got up to speed. My guess (no confirmation) is that at least one of them went right to go after me, and that would have really blocked things up for the field. As soon as someone jumped right they'd have basically hit an aerodynamic brick wall. After I made sure there was no one behind me (for safety but also to deny them shelter) I went to the right curb. Had someone been just a bit behind me I'd have stayed left so they'd have to pass on the wind side, and I probably would have eased to give myself a second jump. Since I was totally clear I went for it.

I don't have pictures but it seems I won the field sprint by a safe margin, considering the others didn't pass me for at least 45 seconds after the line and I just coasted/soft pedaled. Ian, who placed just behind me, was the first one to roll up to me, and he rolled up to me in the first curve/corner.

I mention all that not necessarily because you'd want to know but to try and help those that watch the clip and try to relate it to their own races/situations.