Combined 45+/55+ 1,2,3,4 (though I didn’t see any 4’s on the lists). 40 minutes. 69 riders. 7th in the 55+
If you haven’t done this race you should try it next year, it was a great work out and fun. The course and the pace fit well with what we do at our TNT. Even though it is in Sac there was little traffic and not too many cops and I got up there in about an hour and a half. The race is more of a circuit race than crit. The mile long course which runs through Land Park is closed and the payment is great. They added a couple of chicanes to slow the pace, which ironically were the site of a number of crashes, at least in the 4’s and 35+, according to Eric Camacho to whom I parked next and who rode those races (he placed 8th in the 35+ 4’s). Eric is still a beast.
The highlight of my day was watching my grandson and granddaughter who rode the Under Age 5 race and placed better than their grandfather, at least they got ribbons.
The race was pretty quick and I was on the rivet for much of the first half of the race. But the pace would usually let up approaching the chicanes so we all would bunch up and then get out of the saddle and sprint. So it was fighting for position every lap. Oddly we had, I think, three one guy crashes and they were on the straights, touch of wheels or something. On the last lap everyone was diving Kamikaze like into the chicanes and involuntary internal defenses kicked in so I lost my good position. About half of the field had been popped off by the time it really heated up and I cruised in towards the back of the pack. I should have been up closer and I could have easily improved on my 7th place in the 55+. I think I was probably about 25th – 30th or so overall from what I could tell. Back to the car and did some St. Paddy’s Day carbo loading (Guinness Stout) with my son-in-law, then more celebrating at Dad’s Restaurant, just a few blocks away, which was featured on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives for their blue cheese infused burger – heavenly. Dad’s is a great dive and so reprobates like Zig and Mike B. would feel right at home. Wife drove home.