Finished 11th o/o 50
I got to Winters at around 7:30 a bit late for my 8:15 start. Hit traffic due to road construction on 880 in Oakland. Got everything ready and rolled to the start. They were running 15 minutes late. Great. Stood around for about 20 minutes and could feel the sun getting pretty warm. Can we start already? Finally get going. On the menu for the day included 3 laps for around 72 miles of farm and country roads with a 650ft climb over 3.5 miles(with a 12% kicker at the top. Exciting!) a technical decent and mostly flat everywhere else. My plan for the day was to stay with the lead group. I knew the group would split on the climb. If a sizable break of at least 5-6 formed i’d try to go but the course was a bit too flat for me to attempt anything too crazy.
The first lap was slow and boring. 1st time up the climb was pretty easy for me. After the decent the pace was still slow. The group was neutralized a few times as other groups were passing us. There was a crash right next to me during one of them. Guys need to pay attention. Had to avoid running over one of the guys. Second time up the climb this race finally starts. I was about mid pack starting up the climb, guys started to fade left and right. I wasn’t going to hard until the very last steep section when I saw a sizable gap opening. Put the power down and hooked up to the last guy in the lead group just at the top. I’m terrible at descending so I know I must stay in contact with someone going down. The guy i was following loses a bit on the group at the bottom and we have to dig a bit to get back on the lead group. The group is about 15ish strong and was pretty organized doing around 25-30mph. We take turns at the front to stay away and it works for a while. By the time we get back to the start finish guys aren’t taking their turns and the pace slows a bit. I take a few pulls at the front but don’t put too much effort into it since not everyone else is even pulling through. I stayed towards the front but I think chasers were making their way back to the group.
Last time up the climb was similar to the 2nd time. One guy broke away on the climb and got a 30 second lead. I made the cut and was in the lead group of 15ish again. I had to dig pretty deep again at the last steep section and I felt a cramp starting in my right calf. Great. The group catches the breakaway guy after about 2-3 miles after the decent. I’m just trying to nurse my cramping leg. With about 2k to go to the finish a guy attacks and a few guys respond. Thinking this might be the move I follow and put the power down and get up to 30mph. I’m 4th in line and as soon as i let off both of my legs start seizing up. Great. These cramps were killing me. I had to pull out of the line and fall to the back to get legs to settle down. I can’t keep fighting the cramps so I prepare to do one last dig to the finish line from the back of the pack. 200m to go I put in my last effort. Didn’t even get out of the saddle since i don’t feel like having my legs lock up in an all out sprint. Got up to 36mph and passed a few guys and crossed the line in 11th.
This was by far my most enjoyable road race so far. Making the cut in the select group at the end and having the chance to contesting the finish is pretty awesome. I am a bit disappointed in my cramping issues though since I felt I still had energy to burn coming down to the finish. I need to figure out a better nutrition plan.
Mike