It was announced at the beginning of the Cat 4 race that there was 189 riders. I didn't bother to count them all, but ok....that is a lot of bicycles. The team went into the Fork Shoals race to try and get Andre a win if things worked out. After lap 2 Andre said his back was hurting a little bit and Calum was starting to have a tough time. The beginning of lap 3 saw the field string out 2 by 2 and about 45 riders remained. The pace stayed high and OJ and I made the cut for the final lap. We did our best to conserve some energy and stay towards the front. On the final left turn we were struggling. OJ was taken down to the pavement by another rider clipping his bars as I made my way to the line to finish 20th.
Sunday's Race:
I think OJ and I would have been happy to throw in the towel after a lap or two by the way we felt at the beginning of this race. Sunday morning I did my best to replenish what I had spent the day before. I had about 4 smoothies high in potassium and other goodies. I was sure that cramping would take me out of today's race. There was a crash on lap 1 at the rail road tracks and seemingly cut the field in half. The smaller numbers would ultimately make for a more enjoyable ride. Laps 1 and 2 were still difficult and I really didn't think I would make the cut after lap 3. I hung on and made it to the start of lap 3. At this point the race became a Sunday ride in the park with speeds around 18 mph and a lot of conversation among the group.....this went on for the entire lap around the backside of the course. This helped me a lot and we came across the line for the final lap pretty hot. On the last lap I left my comfort spot on the back of the pack and moved my way up the right side into the top 1/3 of the pack. In the last KM the pace picked up and I was in a great position to contest the sprint. My hopes were quickly dashed as I got boxed in on the right side by two slower riders and the pack went around me. I gave it a good effort to catch back with 200 meters to go, but there was no way I was going to make it through the pack. I finished at the back of the pack and OJ finished somewhere in front of me. I was happy just to hang on and finish.
OJ packing up the truck carrying the Kenda tent. The tent has been a great place for us the hang out while others race.
Ted King on the front......and George Hincapie about 7 heads back, if you look closely. These guys just finished up the Tour of California last weekend. They are among the local elite who live and race in the area. A junior racer would finish 3rd in the Pro 1, 2 race.
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