Race number two for the day. Had a 3 hour rest after the E4 race so I think I may have been way to relaxed. The field was about the same size as the E4 race, about 30. I usually like the master’s races a bit more as they tend to be safer. Not today. From the whistle the pack just felt nervous. That’s the best way to describe it. Had Chris as a teamate but really didn’t see him much as he tends to stay on the outside while I prefer to be buried in the pack. SJBC was on the front for the first few laps setting the pace. It was a rather moderate pace so the field stayed bunched up for the most part. We had the typical elbow bumps and what not that happen every race but nobody was doing anything stupid. Well, except for one guy. From his bike position you could tell he wasn’t a regular on the crit circuit. Most of the time he’d be either up on the hoods or the tops with locked elbows. His bike handling could be described as vague at best. Guys were starting to grumble. So after he almost took out the guy right in front of me I decide enough is enough and move up to have a little chat with him. I’m pretty sure it went in one ear and out the other but I felt I had to do it. Normally, I’d rather not single one person out but in this case I felt his sketchy riding posed an excessive risk to the rest of us. Anyways, back to the racing. I’m not sure what our average speed was but it seemed slow. This didn’t bode well for the last few laps. At 2 to go I was sitting midpack biding my time. It just didn’t feel safe so on the backside between 3 and 4 I decide to ramp it up. I hit the front and drill it. Take it up to about 30 or so and just hammer across the start finish for the bell. After about 800 meters of this my legs call uncle and i give an elbow wag for the guy on my wheel to pull through. Nothing! I move to the right and still the guy on my wheel just sits there. A quick glance under my arm and I see why. My inept friend from earlier is the one sitting there. Crap, I end up pulling into the gutter and letting off the gas. Hopped back on the tail end of the pack. I was pretty cooked after the effort but was able to surf wheels and cross the line in 16th. In the end everyone stayed upright so my hard effort wasn’t a total waste.
Mike