Race Report Part Three:

Sunday was the Crit, 40 minutes in a Mira Mesa office park. Instead of driving to the race I decided to ride in and use the miles as my warm up - almost a costly mistake as I took a few wrong turns - huh, maybe I can justify purchasing a Garmin after all...

As I mentioned before I usually hate crits, 90 degree turns tend to make the racing tense and sketchy - or maybe it just makes me tense and sketchy. This course was more to my liking, more oval than rectangle, with the only 90 corner at the top of a 50' rise. Not knowing how I would react after 2 days of racing I rolled up to the start and sat on the back for the first few laps.

Feeling better than I expected, and probably filled with more than a little nervous energy, I hit the uphill a little hard about 5 laps in and gaped the front. Looking back I thought I might see one or two riders on my wheel that I could work with... no one. So, I was stuck out there all by myself with absolutely no chance to stay away. After a lap another rider bridged up to me, but then sprinted past and took my place dangling off the front. I sat up and rejoined the group, slinking to the back and trying to recover from the effort.

For the rest of the race I tried to sit in the pack and allow everyone else to do the work. Each lap pretty much mirrored the one before: pace picking up on the slight rise into turn one, a quick downhill run into turn 2, hiding in the pack and fighting for position as we motored into the backstretch headwind and turn 3, and braking and climbing through turn number 4. With about 5 laps to go the pace picked up and a few riders tried to get off the front. Everything came together as we all prepared for the sprint.

I'd been pretty smug about drafting off of everyone and playing it safe after my ill advised break a way attempt, but now found myself corralled in by the other riders. As we made it to the bottom of the rise into the last turn I'd resigned myself to a mid pack finish. A small gap open up to the outside and I sprinted for it. I came out of the last turn wide and sprinting out of the saddle. I kept my head down and legs spinning. Crossing the line I was spent, after dissecting the race data (Side note: if you don't already have a PowerTap, SRM, Ergomo, etc... get one! Forget getting a new bike, frame, or wheelset - those can wait!) I looks like I was pushing 33.2 mph and 1078 watts on the line. Good enough for 5th place. Considering I went into the last turn somewhere around 20th and didn't take advantage of any sort of lead out, I'll take it.

All in all I finished the Omnium in 10th place. Something to build on!