tbrown524

I started this thread to read other's race report...

Here's my brief report.

Off the back after 17+ minutes of racing. I underestimated this course.

Lesson learned.

Don't pay a $25.00 registration fee, drive 50+ miles only to half ass your training and expect to do well. It's a waste of time and money.

Chucklehead

it happens. several of us opted for the irvine race instead. i've been working my ass off in training and i was having trouble hanging on to the back of the pack in the early going. the course just didn't suit me. ended-up with an OK finish nonetheless, but still not satisfied. just take it as a learning experience and keep working on it. things will come together mentally and physically for you.

twowheeltom

Same thing happened to me at Irvine. I half-assed my training for the last couple of weeks, and I ended up with less than a half-assed result. Ended up popping at the half-way mark...dropped hard and fast. I think a 5 year old on training wheels would have done better than I did today. $30 plus fuel to and from for the lesson.

Tunnelrat81

Which catagory were you racing in? I did the Cat 5 at 8:10. But I'm local so the risk didn't include gas money for me. My good friend Mark took the second Preem. Just remember a good Cat 5 race only requires that you don't crash. So don't feel too bad.

-Jeremy

joecool2727

I raced both Irvine and Redlands. At Irvine i did the collegiate race and did ok (2nd). After that race my buddy and I rushed to Redlands, he raced the Pro1/2 and i did the Cat4.

At Redlands I went and got every prime (one of them was $50 sweet!) and on the last prime i had a sizable gap and debated for about 10sec if i should go or not, finally decided to go, held about a 5-7sec gap for 3 laps but was then caught in the last 200m and got 7th . Shoulda kept my head down more.

merckx89

^^ very nice racing. Sounds like your about ready to be a 3.

joecool2727

Ya im about 5pts away from my 3 upgrade, hoping to get those next weekend. It was super disappointing getting caught so close to the finish, i just wish i had decided to go right when i had a gap, but at the same time i had a blast and got plenty of prizes, so i dont know what to think.

esammuli

how come you didn't just stick around and do the 4's at Anthill?

joecool2727

Ha, long story, but what happened was i didnt do the TT on sat so i got a ride downt to Irvine with a guy who was also jus doing the crits, but i didnt know he planned on going to Redlands after his collegiate Irvine crit to race with his Metromint team. There was no room for me in anyone elses cars if i had stuck around to do Anthill so i kinda had to go to Redlands with him, but I definately dont regret it. The Redlands Classic was an awesome crit, loved racing downtown with all the cheering people, watching the Pro Teams race, and hey i got some cool primes. All Anthill had was GU.

nygirl777

I got up at the crack of dawn to watch you and Mark race........Mark was out with an injury so I was out there on top of the parking garage cheering you on !!!!!!!!! Next time don't start in the back of the pack you exert too much energy trying to play catch up the entire time ( coming from someone who hasn't even ridden this year )

tbrown524

I thought that was you and travis.... I meant to come around you guys to make sure.. I saw Travis a little later...

Advice well taken...

nygirl777

You looked good though til lap 6 ..... then I saw the labored breathing and then........................................................POP................GONE. But you looked good nonetheless. You've come a long way in a short time.........so congrats on that !!

tbrown524

Just happy I didn't bring the wife to this one. She hasn't come to see any of my races and I was just about to wake her to come see this one...Thank Goodness

nygirl777

Not to mention it was COLD out there.......you might have mustered out one more lap for the misses...........and then pulled off the back side and kept going til u reached home

gr@sshopper

A couple of the rock racing girls liked my hot pink cast, the pro race on Saturday was fun to watch.

vertical bob

Here's what Velo News had to say about the Redlands Classic https://www.velonews.com/article/7429...o-win-redlands

TrevorInSoCal

Hometown race, and I hardly saw any of it. Nor did I get to participate.

Had SAR team stuff going on for most of the weekend. If it weren't for that, I'd have been in Phoenix racing mtn. bikes, but there was no alternate date for Sunday's rope-skills re-cert testing. Thought I might get home in time for the Cat IV crit, at least, but didn't quite make it.

Rode downtown and caught the tail end of it. A teammate got caught up in a crash in that one, and went down. I didn't see it happen, just saw that he was there one lap, and missing the next. Saw him later on, with a bandaged leg.

After that I watched the Pro/I/II crit and went home.

TCR

I was wondering who was hanging out there all by themselves for the last few laps. 7th and all the primes sounds good to me.

I didn't do well. I was feeling tired and out of it from lack of sleep the night before. I was having a tough time just hanging on the back. About 10 minutes in I was thinking which corner would be most graceful to exit from. Thankfully, the pace slowed just enough to where I could catch my breath and get in a rhythm. I still didn't feel like mixing it up so I just hung out at the back the whole time and finished 28th.

Did anyone watch the 1/2 pro crit after the 4's? I missed the first half of it and then watched the last half at the s-turn on the backside. It looked like there was a 5 guy break off the front, one of whom was a Rock Racing guy. It looked like this 5-guy break eventually lapped the rest of the field and then just rode with the main field for the next few laps. Then Rock Racing got up front for the next few laps to launch their sprinter. Well, I didn't realize it was the last lap till it was too late so I missed the finish. I assume the black dude from Rock Racing won it. Or did he? What happened with the 5 guys who lapped the field? They were a full lap ahead, right? Or am I just completely off base here? I missed most of the race and what I did see was on the back half so I didn't hear any of the announcers.

joecool2727

Yes that five man breakaway did end up lapping the field. And i think a Toyota United guy who was in the break that lapped the field ended up sprinting at the finish to get first, I dont think Rock Racing's Bahati was near the front for the finish but i could be wrong.

dur4ce

Wait! How many of you were at the Irvine Races this weekend??? I go to UCI and am a member of the Anteater Cycling team. I don't know if any of you saw me, but on sunday I was riding around on a bright blue Eddy Merckx fixed gear and was marshaling at the corners most of the day! Cool connection!

-Steve

Chucklehead

i was there. but i was too busy sulking after a 14th place finish to notice anyone else.

jsigone

I did that race last yr, wasn't in any good form either, was shot off the back in less then 5 laps, so don't feel bad. It's part of racing, but stick to the local races so you won't lose much outta pocket as far as gas $$ goes.

TCR

So when the 5 man break lapped the field weren't those 5 the only ones in contention for the win?

joecool2727

Correct, and I believe it was a Toyota United rider who won the sprint of the 5 to get the win, but the rest of the field was sprinting also at the same time for 6th place.

mateo44

I was there, watching and hanging out with some other BFers, some who raced, and others who didn't. Fun to watch.