I really enjoy doing these AlleyCat races on my fixie....it's a completely different type of race and riding (and group of people). Plus, it's in St. Pete, so I know that area pretty well. An AlleyCat race is basically a race that is styled after what messengers do for a living; go to different stops as quickly as possible and pickup/drop off something to each "check point".
Here's the data on the course from my Garmin.
156 people had signed up for the race; Fixie/Single speed and geared bikes, "racer types" along with the shorts-n-t-shirts crowd. It's a Lemonds style start and unfortunately there was a bad crash at the start behind me once everyone had gotten on their bikes. There were more crashes at this race than normal...I'm sure it was due to the large field size.
The difference for this race was that at each check point you got a map that showed were the next check point was, which made it more difficult but a touch slower than normal. IO was lucky enough to stay on the top group of 5-6 riders (which had to include Pete) the whole time; the first two-three check points had up to twenty riders but it soon thinned out. Flats and crashes/near misses cut our group down to just five people. It was hot and having water was going to be important; I had two bottles with me....unfortunately, on the "pave' section" many people lost one or two of their bottles. I didn't know it until later but I had lost one of mine. We kept going and a guy from Miami and I were hanging on; I had run out of water and didn't know how much longer the race was going to be going on. We only made one wrong turn and that's were I almost got dropped from the lead group...lucky for me the check point was back a long sandy/grassy road and I was able to ride 1/2 of it and catch back on. Pete had ridden the whole thing and had gaped us. We were not going to be able to bring him back and and the guy from Miami flatted there so it was down to three in the chase group with 2 more check points to go I think.
Before the race started the organizer had told everyone that the number card everyone got would determine the placing for everyone....you had to give it at the finish line and that's how placing would be done. right.
Well, at the last check point I knew where we were and where we needed to get to...I was behind Elizabeth and Giorgio had dropped behind me. I sat up the last 100 meters to grab my number out of my kit pocket and that's when Giorgio went by me...I calmly gave my number to them b/f he did and expected to be 3rd OA and 2nd place for male fixie....it didn't work out that way and I should have just gotten to the line first and worry about that damn number later. I did win some cool DVS shoes that I can pick out so 3rd ain't so bad. Lot's of luck is needed to do well in one of these.
The top ten placings:
1 Pete Young Tampa
2 Elizabeth Hill St. Petersburg
3 Giorgio Torregrosa Orlando
4 Rick Adams Dunedin
5 Ben Pridgeon St. Petersburg
6 Daniel Gochneaur Tampa
7 Bryan McGuire St. Petersburg
8 Kirstin Johnson Washington, DC
9 Klaus Gopfert St. Petersburg
10 TIII West Palm Beach
Great times and people along with free PBRs made for a great day.
Ciao,
Rick
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