Snake Alley Criterium
The Snake kicked our butts once again this year. We got there plenty early and enjoyed a beautiful morning watching some of the early races, even my oldest got in on the action in the kids race.
Eric Knox and I rolled out to warm up and wouldn't you know it, clouds rolled in and light rain began falling. We lined up and went hellbent for election with the starting whistle. As we approached the Snake, I got a bit timid and people got around me easily, but I didn't fall back too far. On the backside, just tried bombing it to gain position, but everyone else had the same idea.
After a couple laps, I was out of contention, but wouldn't let myself believe it. I just kept forcing the pedals over, and somewhere around the 5th or 6th time up, several riders and either crashed, or unclipped and started pushing, and after I navigated around them, it gave me more motivation to keep digging in.
Somewhere around lap 9 or 10 I was just in survival mode. It ended up that they started pulling riders right after I crossed the s/f line on the bell lap so I ended up 2nd to last on the lead lap.
Post race, as we watched the podium, Eric told me he was fried after 3 or 4 laps, but he wasn't very far back at the end. As much as it hurt, and as much as I curse that thing, it is still one of my favorite races I have done, and if all goes well, I'll be there next year again trying to beat the bricks again.
Melon City Criterium
It was my first time dong the Melon City Crit, and to be honest, when I heard it is held in a place called "Weed Park" I wasn't expecting it to be as great as it was. A beautiful, family friendly venue for a race.
As I did a warmup lap, I find that at the bottom of the sweeping left hander hill, there is a speed bump that we get to go over. I know I lack good handling skills, so I start getting psyched out a bit. I just tried to remember to hit it square every time and I would be fine. Ben Acree made it over to join Eric and I, and we got in a good warmup before singing Greased Lighting on the s/f line to calm nerves.
We took off and immediately the pace was high. The leg burn set in right away, but nearly everyone else raced the day before too, so their legs were no better I thought. After a couple laps riding near the front, someone got out a bit ahead, so on the downhill I kept in the throttle and caught and passed him but took another rider with me on my wheel.
I knew it was too early, and I was too sore to make it stick, so I sat up, and as I did, the entire field swept past. I kept contact in the back and hovered there for a couple laps, before making my way into the middle.
Halfway through the race, I was shifting form little to big ring and it overthrew to the outside. I remembered advice given to me after the Twin Bing RR when it dropped, to keep spinning and shift back and it will thread back on. I kept my composure and it did. However, on the next shift, it did it again, so when it got back on and onto the big ring again, I decided not to shift out of it again. It was only a factor after the super sharp right turn at the top of the hill where you lose alot of speed before the decline into the finish.
Eric and I both kinda floated around in the pack into the final laps. I got a bit aggressive and took a chance cutting to the far right on the climb and made it near the front with only the sharp right to negotiate before the finish. A rider got inside of me going into the turn, and the rider about a half bike length ahead of me took a gamble around the corner and went down, but was far enough outside that it didn't affect me.
Ended up coming across in 9th, Eric was midpack and Ben's lungs gave out midway. Good times were had by all.
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