Coming into my bike race this past Sunday I had no real expectations other than to do really well. The question I had in my mind was what was really well? A good placing? Good fast legs? Staying out of trouble? Well if that was “really well” then not only did I do really well but my whole Flying Bobcats team did “really well” also!
My bike race was 35 minutes of criterium racing at its best, fast and hard. The first three laps I found myself following a real strong rider from the Trek team. The guy set a real hard fast tempo that had the field of 40 strung out in a long thin line. After that three laps of pain I settled into about 20th place and just kept in touch with the lead guys and marking my spot in the pack. Twice during the next few laps my teammates raised the pace to where it would get all strung out but no break ever developed from their hard work. With 5 laps to go I started my customary move to the front. I like to position myself about 5th, 6th or 7th place to ready for the big acceleration that comes with the sprint finish. I wasn’t so lucky in getting that place as it seems that 15 other guys had the same Idea as me. On the bell lap (Last lap) I moved up to about 15th and that is where I would stay until we swung into the final corner at 25mph. No braking, no moving, no letting people in, I just went for the line with 300 meters to go. Moved to the inside of the lane put your head down and go as fast and as hard as you can up the little hill incline! I found that I could move up really fast and it was so easy to go fast! 4th place is what I got when I crossed the line! I was still accelerating when I hit the line.
I was pleased to find the new leg strength that I had been working on this past winter. I guess if you work hard it does pay off. I celebrated the 4th place finish with nice cool Mad Town Nut brown ale, always a fitting end to a hard day of bike racing. I do have another bike race coming up this Sunday and hopefully I can find myself on the podium (1st, 2nd and 3rd make up a podium).
I was not the only Flying Bobcat racing this past weekend. Here is how my teammates faired
Flying Bobcats bike racing results from this weekend. If I missed you I am very sorry.
Great Dane Velo Criterium Spring Super Criterium Burnham Ill
Masters Category 4 and 5 Masters Category 4 and 5
4th Matthew Hanson 45th Tim Skinner 45th
10th Matthew Wurz
12th Dan Vander Weide Mens Cat 4 and 5
17th Dan Valenza 28th Mathew Wurz
19th Dean Lazenby
27th Tim Skinner
Masters Cat 3 and 4 Masters Cat 1,2,3 Open
9th Dan Vander Weide 44th Anderson Bortoletto
31st Tim Skinner
Mens Cat 5 Mens Open Cat. 1,2,3
7th Matthew Wurz 47th Anderson Bortoletto
14th Tyler Byrnes
Mens Cat 4
8th Dean Lazenby
10th Dan Vander Weide
13th Dan Valenza
15th Tim Skinner
Masters cat 1-2-3
15th Anderson Bortoletto