I could only do one race this last weekend and I decided to do the Brandon Twilight Crit. I have developed a real talent for picking the wrong venue to go to and this proved correct also.
I'm not knocking the race or the team (AJ's) that put it on: I like a lot of the guys on that team and thought I'd support them. The course was a closed track and had no bad turns on it. A perfect power riders course.....and my least favorite, except for that there shouldn't be any crashes on it. Add it that the size of the group racing was kinda small (26). The race was at 3PM and by then it was well over 90'F. I also had brought Sadie with me and for once she wasn't behaving too well and she was keeping me from doing a very good warm up.
The race started pretty fast and within 3-4 laps and break had gone without any of my team members in it. We had 3 people and the two other guys went up front to try to bring the break back....AJ's had a guy in the break and was doing everything they could to break up anyone chasing them back in. My two guys & I were trying to work together....after a while I was still feeling like crap and I fell back from them and in the second chase group. The lead 3 riders lapped us with 3 to go; nobody else got by.
I finally felt better and was working to get back some of the guys that went up. By the time the bell lap was rung, the group I was in was bringing more back. At the last turn Scott's team mate Bruno had signaled to Scott that he would lead him out...I jumped before they could set that up and went by them. I ended up coming in 10th. My team mates finished 4th and 9th. The AJ's guy that made the break had fallen off the break and didn't even podium.
My data from the race is here.
This is my best finish so far this season of 6 races that I've done; I'm not happy with my performance but I am making some progress.
Ciao,
Rick
