Road season has come and gone just like the wind of Spring.
The count so far:
6-Road Races
1-100k Mountain Bike Race
1-regional Mountain Bike Race
3-Thurs. Night Practice Crits
1-Winter 'Starbucks Ride'
1-Wed. Night 'Worlds'
3-Thurs. Night Practice Crits
1-Winter 'Starbucks Ride'
1-Wed. Night 'Worlds'
I have my first official Crit of the season, Saturday, July 18. It's the Troy, Ohio Classic. It's a wide open, fairly flat crit with about 8/9 turns I think and one 3/4 turn around a city fountain-Roundabout. The city fountain, is roughly about 500 meters before the finish line. I have finished ok here in the last few years, but nothing grand as far as standings. This time of year there are always lots of sandbagging and guys showing up out of nowhere to race these races. This race is very fast in all CAT's. Sprinting out of every corner. I Think last year we averaged about 22/25 mph for the 3/4 race last year. I hung in but suffered the last three laps I remember. The surge's are what wear you out, it's not the speed or the cornering. I'll decide Friday, what race I am going to go after. The Masters looks good, but mentally, I always feel like I am giving-up racing Masters for some reason, even though, as a general rule, the Masters races are sometimes the fastest races. The benefit of the Masters races, guys can handle their bikes. There is very little yo-yo-ing as in the 4's and 5's for sure. The 3's ride a solid race, since there is always someone willing to go up front and keep the pace high to shell the 'slower' riders.
The last weekend of July will be another regional mountain bike race at a local Park, Alum Creek, as will the first weekend in August, which is held at my favorite trail, Lake Hope State Park. These might be the last two races of my summer, sans some spontaneous local crits.
