Originally Posted by merlinextraligh

Second turn, last lap Morroco Shrine Training crit. I'm 4th wheel, the first two guys are planning an attack. Both accelerate out of the turn, and second guy puroposely slows to launch the first. The third guy and I both see it coming and are accelerating through the turn. He goes wide, barely staying on the pavement.

I'm following his line, just to the outside of his wheel. I realize that I need to tighten my line, or go in the grass. I start to tighten my line, but I'm already pedaling, and I can't without bashing a pedal, so I go in the grass. I get out of the saddle accelerate up the grass for about 100 feet. At this point the course is 2 lanes wide and straight. I move back on the course, losing about 7-8 positions, and chase back up to finish 7th.

After the race, a guy is pissed at me for coming back on the course. I honestly don't know if I cut anyone off, but I do know at the time, no one slammed on breaks, had to swerve, yelled etc.

Admittedly, I should not have blindly followed a line that put me in this predictament.

His claim was that it was unsafe for me to come back on the course going 5mph slower. My point was 1) I wasn't 5mph slower or I couldn't have been moving back up, 2) I was in front of him, and he was obligated to avoid me, and 3) the course was 2 open lanes wide, with plenty of room to go around me.

So, should I have just coasted to a stop in the grass and rolled in at the back, or got back in and contested the finish?