OSRS #6 - Lynchburg p/b Bishop's Bicycles

The race started in a downpour. As I looked around the group as we lined up to start, there were a lot of shivering folks... Things warmed up fairly quickly as we made it out of town onto this flat course. There were several solo attacks that did not stick in the first half of the race, while the peloton stayed fairly tight throughout. A group of four of us built a 50 yard gap on the field as we went through some rollers, but we were caught quickly as the field was fairly fresh at that point. It came down to a field sprint with what seemed like the whole field. I found myself in a good spot on the centerline as the road opened up with 200m to go and managed 4th.

A little slippery, a little rainy, but overall a good time! Pace was much faster than all other races this season. I felt on the verge of falling off a few times, but pedaled onwards and stayed in the pain zone each time, and then as expected the pace slowed substantially after everyone had enough fun!

Another crash this week, at around the 800m mark, got slowed down a bit, but managed to avoid the carnage. Then I bumped pedals and legs with another guy, recovered, and charged forward. Had a big gap to make up coming into the finall 200m, and managed to pull out a 6th place with the 6 of us having mere inches of seperation on the line.

Another race completed, more lessons learned, ready for more training to get ready for the Series Finale!

Well, although it he race started out in the rain, the rain stopped after the first lap or so and the weather was actually pretty okay. With my limited chances on a flat course tried to be aggressive from get go and manage to ride of with one other guy (from UBS team) in the 2nd lap. Fatigue started to set in by the 6 th lap at which point were joined by one other guy who managed to bridge to us. Soon thereafter the original guy who was with me had a flat and I was starting to feel my legs twich. By the end of the 6th lap the guy who bridged up to me sprinted away. He managed to stay away but alas I was swept up by what remained of the main field in lap 7 (the final lap). I tried to sprint at the end but cramped in both hamies. Still managed 10th place.

Well, first year racing, but coming off a year of injury rehab, including a torn gluteus medium and plantar fasciitis. In short: training through racing (at least I'll be ready for the triathlon season in a few weeks in addition to continuing to race on the bike only). I've learned alot already. Tons. And I'm having a blast. But this latest race, well, dang. I've learned I've got to place myself better at the start - kind of like everyone has been telling me. The legs seem to be there, but I keep shooting myself in the foot by staying back too long. On a narrow course like this one, the back gets clogged pretty quick and, of course, there goes the break. Lesson learned. Gotta quit being cautious and get with the program. Still, I'm diggin' it. Yearnin' and learnin', baby. Can't do the Oxford rescheduled "tune-up" next weekend, so it'll be OSRS Cycling Finals next, then maybe sticking a crit in there, then the Deer Creek Triathlon. Can't wait!

I got nothing much to say. Except glad I brought my back up rain bike to my normal rain bike. If I had a back up to the back up to the back up I would have brought that. Also, I got a story. On the second lap a Bishop's Cyclery (our host) rider got relegated from near the front. The moto-marshall did not just relegate him-he was sent a mile back or so it seemed. He came back up to my typical spot at the tailgunner position quickly and no worse for the wear. I looked at him and said, "dude, you look way too strong to be a 3". He laughed and started talking in an obvious Aussie accent that he was a Cat 1 back in Australia and having just moved to The States USA Cycling tried to make him start all over again at a 5. He managed to convince them to give him a 3 license. He looked every bit of 1 to me, a younger version of Scotty Moro. Bastage I say, BASTAGE! I gotta nuff problems competing againt 22 year olds still fighting hormone surges and male development issues, I don't need any UCI type idiocy too! I hereby lobby and petition for an immediate upgrade to 2 of this fine gentleman (hell, make him a 1), and while I am at it, I add Mr. Patrick Quinn, Dr. Pete Czerwinski, and I might as well add anybody else who is significantly faster than I am (which would pretty much be the entire field).