This weekend was a big weekend for Texas road racing. There was a big race, under the lights on Friday night, a race on Saturday, and two State Championships, Skill/Catagory Based on Sunday, and Age Based on Monday. A very busy weekend, I drove well over 300 miles, and they were considered local races!
Fridays race was Bike the Bricks, our race started a little before 9, so it was completely dark when we started, glad I had my clear lenses for my Oakley Jawbones. The race started fast and furious. I was towards the middle of the starting line group so I had to try and move up as quick as possible to help out my teammates. I could see Jesse at the front chasing stuff down, so I knew I needed to get up there to give him a hand. I moved my way up to about tenth wheel, and there was a few guys up the road, I got antsy and tried to make the jump up to them, I got most of the way but could not complete the deal. The pack caught me/them, and I moved back to try and recover. I moved farther back than I should have, and ended up paying for it. I wasn't aggressive enough to move back up until it was too late, and ended up 22nd. My teammate Jesse did well and got 7th in the sprint.
Saturday was a P/1/2 race, and was really windy. We did a lap or two, and I was mid pack, but a gap opened up in one of the corners, and I did all I could to close the gap, but could not manage to close it, so I was out in the wind for a lot longer than I needed to be, trying to get back on. Once I couldn't go anymore, a bunch of people passed me, and as I had been riding hard to get back, I was already toasted, and couldn't catch back to those guys either. And thus, my race was over. It only lasted about 15 minutes. I put in an effort with the other guys who had fallen off the back, but we weren't getting any closer, so at about 30 minutes I gave up, and decided to spin for awhile.
Sunday was the Category based State Championship. The plan was to protect Jesse for the sprint for the jersey. All the best plans are for naught once the whistle blows. I was active at the front of the pack, and went with a move during a prime lap, and it stayed off for a lap or two. We got pulled back into the group, and I fell back through the pack gradually. I would try to bridge up a few times to other breaks, but was unsuccessful, but so were they and they got brought back. Eventually two guys would get up the road while I was at the back of the pack so I didn't know about it until it was too late. Jesse snagged a $100 dollar prime, essentially uncontested. The two up the road had 40 seconds on the field, when I saw two elbows riders get to the front. I thought they were blocking, having seen one of their riders go up the road, but he had been brought back apparently.
Well I wasn't going to go down without a fight, so I stopped their "block", and got in front of them, and started to pull, trying to bring the break back. Their lead increased to 50 seconds, and would stay that way for awhile, at 5 laps to go, I had enough, and the gap wasn't getting any smaller, so I pulled off. Paul Bonds from OKC Velo was nice enough to let me back into the draft, and I recovered a bit. Jesse was back on and in the mix, and Lalla instructed me, no more work until the end. I would get gapped, and passed in the corners and gradually fell to the back of the pack.
Coming through the back side of the course Jesse got after me to get to the front, and instructed me that I was spinning too high of a gear. I shifted down, 2, then one, then one more, and I moved up, and planted myself a perfect 4th wheel. Jeff Labauve was leading out his former teammate Danny Parks 5 seconds off the front. The wind killed their momentum by the last turn and I was still sitting pretty in 4th wheel. Two Park Place riders, and a matrix rider. At the beginning of the parking lot shift/chicayne the Matrix rider jumped, and I was right there waiting. He made it to about the stop sign/entrance and was done. I jumped him at this point and never looked back. I hit 40.5 mph and had half a second on the matrix rider in 4th behind me.
Monday was the Age based Crit Championship. We had 6 riders in this race. Myself, Adam, Phillip, Collin, Jesse and Michael Lalla. The plan was to stay at the front incase Elbows started to push the pace, and if they didn't, we could initiate. The group consisted of the Under 23, 23-29, 30-34, and 35-39, categories. There was at least 75 riders to start. I got off to a bad start, by missing a pedal, so I was moving back in the pack. Then I decieded that it would be a good time to take a energy gel shot, seeing as it was only a 60 minute race. Gel shot good, timing BAD. I dropped to the absolute back of the pack. I could see a few of our guys at the front of the race, so I knew I needed to move up. I worked my way up to a better placing, about mid-pack, after a few laps. Phillip was still at the front and I was going to ride up and try and slide in with him. I got up there, and decided to instead roll off the front, and give it an effort myself. They let me roll off for a bit, then two guys came blazing past me. Nick Boulle, and a a Super Squadra rider, likely a Haga Brother. I tried to accelerate with them, but just couldn't handle it after being in the wind myself.
