Latoria_April18
Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2012 8:51 pm
Another one of those races where one could be forgiven for not showing up. The hockey game, the clouds and occasional rain, and the fact that it was mid-week, and crazy rush-hour traffic for those who drive, all might have turned you back. Yet, it was another case where those who did make it were rewarded - perfect conditions for racing. Dry roads, sunny, cool but not too cool temperature, and a great event.
I'll keep this one short: Brian, Brent, Bill and a few people whose names don't start with B, Trevor and I, were in the B race. Luke was in A. Roland, Kevin, Adam d. V. and Brad Head (friends of TS in their various other team kits) were there. I saw another guy (really tall) in TS kit too. Sorry, don't know his name.
The B race was fast, but not too fast. Not too hard to stay near the front, but no one was brave enough to try to jump the group. IRC brought a few secret weapons - Chris and Ronda out for their first races of the season. Good move: John Guthrie won, Chris was second and this was thanks, in part, to a lead out from Lionel. Good going guys. There's some good news for us though: Trevor, Brian and I were the next three across the line. Big thanks to Bill who dragged the group around most of the last lap just to help me get enough points for a cat. 3 license. This result, I think, puts Brian and I in a tie for first overall.
Other comment: We chatted but didn't come up with a plan before hand. I think there are two reasons for this. We are reluctant to ask others to work for us and, we're not sure how strong we are until the race is over. But, the data are beginning to show that even though 25 fast people show up every week, there are always as many as three of us in the top five or six. At some point we owe it to ourselves to see what we can do with a clear plan. It might not work, but even if we end up off the back, we know that if we'd just ridden around, we'd have done well, and where's the fun in knowing the result before the race even starts?
Oh, I should add that Trevor did a fair bit of work on the front mid-race and still had the legs for a great final sprint (came to mind when I was thinking about taking chances in a race). The photos of that sprint might be interesting. A few racers didn't have the legs to finish the job they'd started and a car showed up at an especially bad time. Some were slowed and some (e.g., me) passed people that they otherwise might not have.
JT
I'll keep this one short: Brian, Brent, Bill and a few people whose names don't start with B, Trevor and I, were in the B race. Luke was in A. Roland, Kevin, Adam d. V. and Brad Head (friends of TS in their various other team kits) were there. I saw another guy (really tall) in TS kit too. Sorry, don't know his name.
The B race was fast, but not too fast. Not too hard to stay near the front, but no one was brave enough to try to jump the group. IRC brought a few secret weapons - Chris and Ronda out for their first races of the season. Good move: John Guthrie won, Chris was second and this was thanks, in part, to a lead out from Lionel. Good going guys. There's some good news for us though: Trevor, Brian and I were the next three across the line. Big thanks to Bill who dragged the group around most of the last lap just to help me get enough points for a cat. 3 license. This result, I think, puts Brian and I in a tie for first overall.
Other comment: We chatted but didn't come up with a plan before hand. I think there are two reasons for this. We are reluctant to ask others to work for us and, we're not sure how strong we are until the race is over. But, the data are beginning to show that even though 25 fast people show up every week, there are always as many as three of us in the top five or six. At some point we owe it to ourselves to see what we can do with a clear plan. It might not work, but even if we end up off the back, we know that if we'd just ridden around, we'd have done well, and where's the fun in knowing the result before the race even starts?
Oh, I should add that Trevor did a fair bit of work on the front mid-race and still had the legs for a great final sprint (came to mind when I was thinking about taking chances in a race). The photos of that sprint might be interesting. A few racers didn't have the legs to finish the job they'd started and a car showed up at an especially bad time. Some were slowed and some (e.g., me) passed people that they otherwise might not have.
JT
