Race Report # 4

[RidgeRider]

Ok, the weekend before last had another interesting twist to it and one that I hope to forget quickly.

I rode down yesterday with a girlfriend of mine who wanted to check out the race scene so I had company and didn't spend too much time thinking about the race. The race schedule is the same, 11:45AM clinic, and 1:45PM race.

So got there about 30 minutes before the clinic and went through the usual routine. Anyway before the clinic, my bike was making a strange sound so I had the on-site mechanic look at it and he thought he had fixed it but I still heard it a little during the clinic. It turns out the rear wheel was not seated properly in the rear dropouts and the clicking was related to that, but I rode it anyway as it didn't seem to be holding me back.....and I didn't know what it was so I decided to ignore it for now....big mistake!

During the clinic we did a few warm up laps as usual in tighter double pace-lines to get everybody comfortable again. I gotta say, this 'Criterium' series in terms of getting you comfortable with racing and learning what to do, and not to do, has been fantastic and I highly recommend it for newer racers next year. We worked on bridging to breaks, so we did a lot of sprints to a breakaway group and learning how to launch, sprint, approach the lead group and then recover. The instructors reminded us again and again that if you are in flat criterium race and you are not one of the special riders who have a massive sprint, the only way to win is to get away from the peleton by taking some calculated risks during the race. Interesting.....:)

Last week it was a downpour and there was a 45 minute break for the old guys and I decided, since we had wet conditions and I didn't want to wait around, to race against the young guys this week and take it easy given the conditions. I hadn't expected to race with this group but wanted to be challenged a bit more.

After a very clumsy start (couldn't get clipped in to my pedals) I had to work from the very back into the top 10. I raced the first few laps fine, I chased the first break with a solo bridge.....we got away, about 6 of us, then later we were pulled back. I tried maintaining a forward position always but as I am learning quickly with racing in a pack, you end up getting swallowed up and pushed back and you have to keep pushing up the pack to keep a place up front, as there were many aggressive riders in this new group I raced this week......or so I thought....more on that later.

Anyway, a new break happened while I was being swallowed up and when I finally saw it, I decided to go to the front to see if it would last.

Side note: My bike had been clicking loudly a couple on a couple of occasions which I thought was strange and worrisome, but I ignored it cause I was racing!!!  ;D

After getting back on to the front, I made a decision, and then I took off and started a solo bridge to the breakaway group, gapped the peloton by 50 yards + , but couldn't get to breakaway group, as they were another 15 yards ahead, I didn't have enough to make it to them as the bike felt heavy and I thought maybe I just didn't have it today. Damn!

How could I be spent already? I was shocked and dismayed as my fitness level is excellent.

I have worked WAY to hard to be knackered after that effort...this was with 4 laps to go. So I had to settle back and wait for the peleton. After I got swallowed back up by the peloton they then proceeded to spit me out the back. I was really suffering and didn't understand what had happened. My bike was still making noises but it now sounded like the bottom bracket was grinding but I trudged on.

Anyway, after another lap it was clear there was something wrong with the bike, so I pulled in to the mechanic with my tail between my legs in complete disbelief as to what had happened today. He messed with it and found out my hub was not seated properly in the dropouts, through the force of cranking on the bike during bridge sprints, I had pulled the wheel out of the dropouts and my rim was and had been rubbing against the brake pads making a grinding sound due to all the wet and grit from the wet road surface. I thought the grinding sound was my hub or bottom bracket grinding. It had just got worse and worse as the race progressed.

You see, there was a guy in the break I knew, and had raced before, and I knew I could hang with him no problem but....it is no dang wonder I couldn't make that bridge......cause........................I was racing with the damn brakes on!!!!!!! Dohhhhh!!!!!!!!

Anyway, strange day, the good and the bad and as always. another learning opportunity.

Next week is the final week and the results count. I will be back racing against the 45+ group and will be looking for a podium!

Jack