Bulingame Crit
Cat 4
Somewhere around 12th
Downtown crit. Left, Right, left hairpin, right-left chicane, wide left, then sweeping curve to line.
Clipped a pedal in the wide left. Lost like half the pack over the course of 40 minutes.
Lined up at the front, missed clip in, pedaled once, missed again. Damn, not a good course to miss a clip in. Now I'm near the back experiencing bad yoyo effect at the u turn. After a few laps I still wasn't moving up, but finally started getting the hang of the course - always be on the right side. Powered forward on the right side before the u-turn, took it wide, came out with a tad more speed, sprinted, gained one position. Repeat for a few laps until I was able to pick up a few positions per lap - tuck in near the curb into the chicane, and power up the side every chance I get. By 15 minutes in I was near the front. No one told me there was already a guy off the front who would go on to win it.
Took a few easy laps but realized quickly every easy lap I move a few spots back, so I just kept a steady effort of moving up. Last lap, last corner I was around 10th, and I should have sprinted right there and probably could have picked up several positions, but instead I waited and everyone went at the same time and I didn't pass anyone. Oh well, at least I finally got myself to work my ass off in the last 4 laps to get/stay near the front for once. Still need to work out my sprint timing.
Race was 7 am, so I had time to get home and go on a 50 mile group ride at 9, in which Fudgy killed the final climb. I felt like I was killing it, but my power meter said nope, legs are already dead. Clipped a pedal again on the final descent. Gotta stop doing that.