The race layout is somewhat fast considering, road conditions, obstacles and many tricky turns, which are certainly cause for alarm. It's just one of those races where you finish and think, I am glad I didn't wreck or get taken out by something or someone. This course requires everyone to pay attention to all sides of your bike. Our start was fast, with several guys hitting it from the gun. I had a good position on the far right front line for the CAT 4 start. Our first left is a swishy turn onto some very old bricks. I was hoping they had finally replaced this section, since I didn't race the Burg last year, but no, it was there, with a nice attempt to repair what was obviously a big hole in the inside of the left off of the brick section. I must complain, I have never seen, witnessed so many racers, not pedaling in a section where they should be pedaling - lets just hope they show up to some cross races and they do the same. Out of the brick, our left hand turn, we faced a wicked head wind and I found getting a good postion on the brick helped stay out of the windy wind. This somewhat flat road section is in very poor condtion and has some lumpy whoopy doo's in the middle and outside of the road, which if you were not paying attention were a bit silly. Not too many laps did I notice the group as a whole lining up properly for the up and coming short left and right turn, before hitting the back flat buttery smooth pavement. Again, the group seemed to wait till the last minute to move to the outside line for the next left. I even hollered out at the group here once. This section was very short, but required good positioning, since there was not much room in this little sweep section before the finish and there was raised pavement with a slick manhole cover and some new blacktop in the apex of the turn, before making the last left before the final 300-400 meters to the finish. My idea was sit in the top 10, follow Mason from Jeni's, Darkhorse, the solid Saturn/dayton guys, sketchy Roll rider dude and the Raisin Rack guys. As the race progressed, I became more and more frustrated with the ability of some of these clowns to hold their line through the corners, "S" sections and what not. Guys were zipping all over the road, cutting people off - riding agressive, but not smart or safe. They just were picking bad lines into the corners and turns, then upon seeing their mistake of heading right over a manhole cover, they would turn to one side and not commit to the line THEY picked. I had to decide, did I want to rub elbows?, throw down hockey-style or go home without blacktop in my skin. I choose the safe route and planned to ride a little more cautious, be safe, set up for my finish sprint - on the last lap & on the bricks and after. It seemed to work sans getting cut off twice before the final two turns. Mason had a guy lock shifters/handlebars with him, then the guy preceeded to get mad at Mason, WTF.
If I was a real ass, these dudes would have gotten kicked in the seat by me or if we were in a road race, they would be in a ditch, for this crap. I was in good position for the final two turns, my goal being getting the inside line, on the last turn, inside of the raised manhole cover, well, I was there, just not far
enough up front to do throttle damage for a top 10 placing. My other issue was, somehow my chain, in the middle of my sprint, dropped to the small ring up front, I sat up slightly and looked down to see if it had dropped off completly or was still on the small ring, it was ok, I soft pedaled (at least 8 dudes fley by me) and got it back up and sprinted in for 23rd. Not bad, I'll take it considering all the stevie wonder dudes racing in a cat 4 race. I am not so sure some of these guys should have gotten their upgrade, but would guess since it was the "ohio state crit championships" that some of these dudes really wanted the win and the cool ass Festina watch >.After what I left out on the race course Saturday, I will certainly take this finish result for a first year CAT 4 participant and being an old fart.
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