Hermes

Remember he was "taking" an ice bath so I suspect the clothes were off. This is CA.

nacler22

Gotcha covered

caloso

I was inspired by a post in another Masters Racing thread: Something to the effect that if you're getting dropped you might as well bury yourself to get reattached. If you get dropped, you were going to get dropped anyway.

nacler22

True statement.

sarals 

Good stuff - the racing, too! Way to go, coach!!! Third on GC - woot!! See you later this week - I'll try to do that "burying" stuff you guys talk about, because I'm gonna need it.

Creakyknees

Rockwall (TX) crits this weekend. Saturday we had 58 starters in the 40+ open field. It was only a year or two ago that common wisdom in Texas was that "masters racing is dead" and a typical field size would be 10-15 riders, most from the same team.

I don't exactly know why the big increase, except maybe just a surge in people's racing age ticking over to 40 this year. Now the fields have 3 or 4 strong cohesive teams each with several strong riders, always a few super strong cat 1 types to make everybody hurt, and lots of fast aggressive (but safe) racing.

Even though I am seriously out-classed, I'm really enjoying this kind of racing.

Anyway, to results. Flat wide concrete industrial park crit. Saturday, no wind, lots of action but our team kept a lid on everything and brought it to a field sprint, won by one of our 3 designated sprinters. Success. Me, I flatted in the last lap, that was a bit scary in turn 3 til I could get out of everybody's way.

Sunday, same course but opposite direction, the slight hill on one long straight becomes noticeable this way, and the wind was blowing and picking up. Also, our local cat 1 stud from team Elbowz decided to race 40+, so when he attacked it was balls-out carnage for a few laps and only 2 other guys could stay with him. Those 3 lapped the field with about 5 togo. I was able to get into a break for a few laps, form felt good and we were hauling ass ... I'd look back at the turns and the field was single file behind us, I kept thinking "man they gotta sit up eventually!" but they never did so it was a big bunch again at the finish. Our guys had a tougher time, top placing 7th and I followed wheels to 20th.

Creakyknees

Disagree. I have been dropped and made it back to the field on several occasions. It can happen.

chidonchea

Turlock Lake Road Race 45+4:
We had 8 guys in this race. The plan was for me to provide a lead out on the sprint for our two protected riders. One guy ends up in a 8 person break and the other guy got a flat. Then there was a crash at 1K...

shovelhd

I'd like to see you spend more time riding in the shelter of the field. Nice jump on the sprint, though. More of a kilo attack.

AzTallRider

The point is that either way you are dropped. Whether you then reattach is a different issue.

Creakyknees

This... you are aware that you are wasting a ton of energy by hanging so far back... yes?

shovelhd

Even when he's in the field he's rarely in the pocket.

Hermes

It was too easy for him. He TTed most of the time on the hoods. That was strong racing but arguably not tactical in the sense of conserving energy and surfing wheels.

C'Chea, How did you finish? Was there a break up the road? I checked USAC but the results are not up yet.

caloso

I can't see the video at work, but I will tell you that wind on Sunday was such that unless you were tucked in tight, you were burning watts.

Creakyknees

I agree that not getting dropped is preferable to getting dropped.

sarals 

Sea Otter Circuit Race, W4...

Never got properly staged and settled, had to work my way around non-starting riders in the staging area, and lost the back of the group in the process (chaos at the start line). Tried to chase back on in the first climb and never could quite connect (in spite of setting personal records). The pace was really high, and the places where I expected to catch the group just didn't pan out. Much different than earlier in the year. My legs felt awful, but my performance was much better than I thought it was. Pulled after three laps (the main pack did NOT have three minutes on me, but the race committee was being conservative - lots of complaints about that today).

Basically, I stunk the place up. Even though I was faster, but so were those kids. This is frustrating.

Tomorrow - the road race. Elevating the legs, trying to get some meaningful rest for the rest of the day.

This is one of those days where I hate racing.

AzTallRider

We all have frustrating days. Do your best to focus on what you can control: tomorrow!

VanceMac

They pulled you without getting lapped? Were there other categories on the course at same time?

Hey, this matters:

shovelhd

Exactly. You got off to a crap start, battled, and got pulled. I had a race just like that last year. Put it behind you and get ready for tomorrow.

Esteban58

Totally agree with this - I know its hard, especially as the conditions sound chaotic, but if you're performance has improved, that
has to be viewed as a positive result.

sarals 

Yes, there were, Vance. M55+, WM35+, W Juniors, and we W4's. They warned us during the brief that "if you get three minutes behind the lead rider you will be pulled - you'll be placed, but you'll come off". I was NOT three minutes behind, and no one had lapped me, and I doubt I would have been.

sarals 

It was the worst race I've had yet this year. And I was faster!

sarals 

AzT, I already am.

nacler22

Sara, what was the deal with the start cluster****?


Edit: just read the post in your thread.

It sucks now, put it really was a very productive "learning opportunity".

Go get'em tomorrow.

caloso

+1