RATL #1 - The R3 gets scratched

I gotta admit that I was pretty wound up about the first race of the season for me. RATL is pretty much a Crit and I like that style of racing. The weather was perfect and turnout was great.

SBR had a good showing of members out; many new members had come out and we are still getting used to each other racing. The team practice(s) should help.
Paul M was going to race Jrs, Angie R was racing women's, Mike N., Michael L & David T were doing CAT V; Jimmy, Matt O, Steve H, JV, Gary, Jason & I the IVs Dr John & Tim F the Masters; and Tom K with David S the 1,2 & 3s.

While I was warming up, I managed to snap a few photos (many, many more are my FLICKR site if you'd like).

The CAT IVs lined up and the Spin riders have been in a huddle on the opposite side with Greg J with them. I just laughed when he said he was a CAT IV....the guy is hell on wheels but is legit as least until he wins or gets enough points to move up. I announce to the group pointing at Greg that "this is the guy to watch". I'm thinking I'll be lucky to stay on let alone finish strong, but as soon as the race starts, I'm feeling pretty good. Spin is sending riders off the front like every 2 minutes and I can tell SBR guys are not as fit as the Spin guys. No worries, it's the start of the season and we have a bunch of new folks. Well, Greg and other Spin riders take off and I chase them down, like twice and Gary does once along with Jason once as did Matt & Steve I think. We are 11 miles into the race and we are coming down the hill and I'm moving up after recovering and am on the outside right when a Summit guys comes into me (yes he came over, not the other way around) and I yell and hold my line and shoulder him off of me. I didn't realize that Gary was on the other side of him and when the guy came over to him he had to do the same thing. Well, the guy pinballs back into me and this time his wheel and handlebars gets locked into mine and it's game over. I hit the ground and look back to see if anyone is going to be running over me and tuck into the "Fetal Position". Nobody does and I jump up grab my bike give it a quick look and try to untangle his bike off of mine. His wheel is taco'd and handlebars are locked into mine....a guy from Spin (Craig?)(sorry forgot his name) was there and kept saying to slow down and check myself for anything broken. I'm pumped up and just wanting to get back on the bike and back on the peloton. I straighten out the shift levers and get going. I reach the main straight away area where most of the people are at and swearing up a storm for getting what looks to be dropped by the group now. (I'm sorry for the bad language...my son and other kids were around).
I'm hoping the group sits up for some reason....but I can see them almost 1/2 a lap up the road. I spend the next 4 laps trying not to get lapped by the field but on the bell lap they come around me and I just try to keep them in sight.
Overall, I'm sore today, but real lucky that the bike came out with only a few scratches; I sacrificed my body for the bike....
:-)
Not the way I wanted to start the race season, but it could have been much worse for me and my bike. The Summit guy looked OK (according to the EMT dude) and it's too bad about his wheel.
Thanks to all of the medical staff at SBR for the Advil and etc....

caio,
Rick