Air Force Acedemy criterium

Yesterday Brett, Rolf, and I headed to Colorado Springs for the AFA crit in the afternoon.  There was a small field, with riders being split among the Haystack TT event in Boulder, the collegiate racing that morning at the AFA, and the Sea Otter Classic in California.  I think we had 20 riders in the 3/4 category, and then five women from the Pro/1/2 category who joined us.

 

 

This photo from Pat Benson is only peripherally related to yesterday's race, as both took place on bikes.  However, this photo is from track nationals in Los Angeles in September 2010.  I haven't seen any pictures from yesterday, yet, so pictures of me racing road will have to wait until next time.

The race started out at a brisk pace, but one rider jumped away solo and wound up dangling off the front by himself for quite a few laps. The chase efforts ended up whittling the lead group down to the point where we had seven riders representing seven teams in the front group when the solo leader was caught at the mid-point of the race.

There were a few tentative attacks after that, but nothing stuck for even a whole lap.  The lap cards were ticking down, and it was evident the winner would come from this lead group of seven, probably with the whole group coming to the finish together.

As we entered the last three laps, everyone in the lead group was watching each other, waiting for someone to make a move.  The pace slowed considerably.  Coming through the start/finish line with two laps to go, the calf on one leg started cramping up, so I had to pull a Jens Voigt and continue riding.

When we came through with one lap to go, I had had a chance to stretch out my leg, and the cramping was gone.  I moved up to 4th wheel on the downhill section, and felt I was in good position at the 2nd to last corner.  On the flat section before the final turn, I latched on to Zane Godby's wheel as he moved up to lead through the last right-hander before the finish.  Coming up the hill toward the line, I jumped with about 300m to go, went to the front, but then was passed as I lost steam before the line.  I ended up 5th place, one spot outside the money.

In hindsight, it would have been wise to wait another 100 to 150 meters before opening my sprint, or perhaps to have been 3rd or 4th wheel through the final turn rather than 2nd.  All in all, though, I'm happy with this as my first road event of the 2011 season.