Team Integrity Training Race
#3
C race (CAT5) for 45 minutes
45 degrees
20-25 mph winds gusting to 45
.7 mile laps with 83' gain per lap. Of course the uphill bit with the 5% or so grade was dead into the wind.
14 entries
The whistle blew and despite the best laid plans of my team mate wanting to go off the front I looked over and saw him having a problem clipping in. I waited for him to find my wheel and delivered him to the front as best I could. Having burnt a match for that effort (27 seconds at 170%) I started falling back though riders and settled in to what I thought would be a blown up race due to the short climb of about .2 miles that was dead into the wind. I'd work at what my FTP is and just see what happened. On the second lap I started reeling folks in and passing them and then could see a few up at the front who would turn out to be the winners.
Knowing that I'd never catch them I found one guy that I worked with for a dozen laps or so and we'd take turns leading each other up the rise into the wind. Looking at the data there were times when I was at 115% FTP and going 10 mph. We'd come to the 40 mph downhill part and I'd tuck and coast for as long as I could to try and recover. That coast generally lasted for ~25 seconds or ~.2 mile and got me a 'nice tuck' comment from the other guy.
The race did get blown up and I thought the two of us were fighting it out for the bottom step so I knew my only chance was to take off at the bell and not coast but to hammer and try to get away. That plan worked out with my last lap being 2:15 at 120% FTP however I failed to notice that there was one other person between what I thought to be 1 and 2 and myself so I took 4th
Turned out to be 14 miles with 1400' gain and more importantly everybody stayed upright.
TSS 83
IF 0.96
Good times but I still don't care for crits.