Strava: http://www.strava.com/activities/120436012
For the first race of the season at Great Park, there were a few things that were different: 1) they now have you either renting (daily) or buying (season) a timing chip, 2) you buy your numbers for the season, 3) it's now accredited with USAC, so you get points and 4) they changed the course a little and actually extended the distance based on the addition of a chicane on the far side of the course. After paying $50 and having the timing chip mounted on the bike, I was good to go. Shannon had already bought his timing chip at the El Dorado Crits, so he was also good to go.
It was a windy day so as we did our warm up laps, we didn't push too hard and just got the blood flowing in the legs. This gave us time to talk about strategies, his race on Tuesday (he got 8th!), and even more strategies. We also knew that strategies are dependent on what the teams are out there doing as well as the tempo of the race, but we would do what we could to help one another as THAT was key.
It took a while to get us started due to how long the registration took for all the riders on the first day, but it wasn't long before we lined up. I got to chatting with Scott, someone who I met through mutual friend and rides with LinkedIn kit, while we were waiting to go, but once the race started, it was time to focus. One funny note was how when he saw us that he asked "you're in cat 4/5?" followed with how that was not good for him. LOL. What he didn't realize was I didn't know how it would be given my last outings there weren't exactly good ones.
During the first couple laps, I did what I was suppose to do and stuck with Shannon the whole time. We were bouncing around from the back to the middle of the group, but no matter where he went, I followed. Better together I kept thinking to myself. I didn't want to get split up in case he wanted to make any moves. When he finally made a move, I believe after the first prime and on the back side of the track, I let him go a little ahead so as to not get anyone to latch on to us right away. Once he gapped the group some after no one gave chase, I took off and tried to break away so I can give him some help. However, when I passed and tried to have him come with, he noticed that we didn't have enough of a gap, so he called out to let me know and we both checked up and got sucked back into the peloton.
We rode with the peloton for a while trying to keep fairly close to the front, and once Shannon was ready to go again, he took off for another break away attempt. When he did, I wasn't right behind him but I was close to the front where I thought, maybe following him may not work as it didn't the first time. At that point, I opted to take the front of the peloton and kept a pace that would otherwise allow us to reel Shannon back in. It was weird how the peloton let me take the front at that pace, but as they held me out, I was thinking...fine by me! This just lets Shannon break away even more. When people would bring up the pace or try to break away, I would do some blocking by reeling them in and holding them out.
What helped as well was the timing of Shannon's breakaway. He did so just before we were reeling in the Masters group and with the Cat 1/2/3 group nipping at our heels. When we passed the masters group, we went neutral to let the Cat 1/2/3 pass but then got passed by the masters group first instead. We remained in neutral as well to let the 1/2/3 group pass us as well, and I kept thinking "Cool! Shannon can continue to extend his breakaway!" Ultimately, we seemed to have been in neutral for way too long, but one guy insisted we slow down...even stop pedaling at one point. We literally rolled under 20 mph for probably a quarter of the lap!
Shannon kept his lead for a whole other lap, and some of the guys in our group was thinking he got an unfair advantage due to the other groups. What was he supposed to do though...slow down? Shannon mentioned how someone from the other group was yelling at him to go neutral, so he did as well and ultimately led to him slowly getting reeled in on the last lap. I stayed in the peloton hoping he could keep the breakaway, but once I saw them closing on him on the backside, I started to try and push up toward the front again and prepare for the final sprint. I called out to Shannon when I passed, but I'm not sure he heard me and/or was able to respond given all the work he was doing in the wind.
After the 2nd to the last turn, I was getting close to the front when someone cut in front of some others almost causing a crash, which made me check up a little. Hitting the last turn, some guys who seemed to have been lurking in the pack the whole time came out of it just ahead of me and I was not able to latch on resulting in a sprint with no leadout. I gave it my best nonetheless, and I think I finished top 10 but not exactly sure. It was funny how some people seemed to just give up before the finish, so I took advantage and just kept going crossing the timing mat ahead of them.
While there were some close calls in the race, it was still fun. I really hoped Shannon could have gotten the W with his breakaway, but we'll have to try that again some other time...preferably when it's less windy. Of course, with more people to work with, we can definitely try different strategies that may finally give us a win on this course. I can't wait for next week!
The rest of the pictures Lisa took: http://s13.photobucket.com/user/rlaureano/slideshow/Great%20Park%203-13-14
For the first race of the season at Great Park, there were a few things that were different: 1) they now have you either renting (daily) or buying (season) a timing chip, 2) you buy your numbers for the season, 3) it's now accredited with USAC, so you get points and 4) they changed the course a little and actually extended the distance based on the addition of a chicane on the far side of the course. After paying $50 and having the timing chip mounted on the bike, I was good to go. Shannon had already bought his timing chip at the El Dorado Crits, so he was also good to go.
It was a windy day so as we did our warm up laps, we didn't push too hard and just got the blood flowing in the legs. This gave us time to talk about strategies, his race on Tuesday (he got 8th!), and even more strategies. We also knew that strategies are dependent on what the teams are out there doing as well as the tempo of the race, but we would do what we could to help one another as THAT was key.
It took a while to get us started due to how long the registration took for all the riders on the first day, but it wasn't long before we lined up. I got to chatting with Scott, someone who I met through mutual friend and rides with LinkedIn kit, while we were waiting to go, but once the race started, it was time to focus. One funny note was how when he saw us that he asked "you're in cat 4/5?" followed with how that was not good for him. LOL. What he didn't realize was I didn't know how it would be given my last outings there weren't exactly good ones.
 |
| Lined up and ready to go |
During the first couple laps, I did what I was suppose to do and stuck with Shannon the whole time. We were bouncing around from the back to the middle of the group, but no matter where he went, I followed. Better together I kept thinking to myself. I didn't want to get split up in case he wanted to make any moves. When he finally made a move, I believe after the first prime and on the back side of the track, I let him go a little ahead so as to not get anyone to latch on to us right away. Once he gapped the group some after no one gave chase, I took off and tried to break away so I can give him some help. However, when I passed and tried to have him come with, he noticed that we didn't have enough of a gap, so he called out to let me know and we both checked up and got sucked back into the peloton.
 |
| Wingman |
We rode with the peloton for a while trying to keep fairly close to the front, and once Shannon was ready to go again, he took off for another break away attempt. When he did, I wasn't right behind him but I was close to the front where I thought, maybe following him may not work as it didn't the first time. At that point, I opted to take the front of the peloton and kept a pace that would otherwise allow us to reel Shannon back in. It was weird how the peloton let me take the front at that pace, but as they held me out, I was thinking...fine by me! This just lets Shannon break away even more. When people would bring up the pace or try to break away, I would do some blocking by reeling them in and holding them out.
 | ||
| Lonely out front |
 |
| Blocking.... |
What helped as well was the timing of Shannon's breakaway. He did so just before we were reeling in the Masters group and with the Cat 1/2/3 group nipping at our heels. When we passed the masters group, we went neutral to let the Cat 1/2/3 pass but then got passed by the masters group first instead. We remained in neutral as well to let the 1/2/3 group pass us as well, and I kept thinking "Cool! Shannon can continue to extend his breakaway!" Ultimately, we seemed to have been in neutral for way too long, but one guy insisted we slow down...even stop pedaling at one point. We literally rolled under 20 mph for probably a quarter of the lap!
Shannon kept his lead for a whole other lap, and some of the guys in our group was thinking he got an unfair advantage due to the other groups. What was he supposed to do though...slow down? Shannon mentioned how someone from the other group was yelling at him to go neutral, so he did as well and ultimately led to him slowly getting reeled in on the last lap. I stayed in the peloton hoping he could keep the breakaway, but once I saw them closing on him on the backside, I started to try and push up toward the front again and prepare for the final sprint. I called out to Shannon when I passed, but I'm not sure he heard me and/or was able to respond given all the work he was doing in the wind.
After the 2nd to the last turn, I was getting close to the front when someone cut in front of some others almost causing a crash, which made me check up a little. Hitting the last turn, some guys who seemed to have been lurking in the pack the whole time came out of it just ahead of me and I was not able to latch on resulting in a sprint with no leadout. I gave it my best nonetheless, and I think I finished top 10 but not exactly sure. It was funny how some people seemed to just give up before the finish, so I took advantage and just kept going crossing the timing mat ahead of them.
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| Sprint Finale |
While there were some close calls in the race, it was still fun. I really hoped Shannon could have gotten the W with his breakaway, but we'll have to try that again some other time...preferably when it's less windy. Of course, with more people to work with, we can definitely try different strategies that may finally give us a win on this course. I can't wait for next week!
The rest of the pictures Lisa took: http://s13.photobucket.com/user/rlaureano/slideshow/Great%20Park%203-13-14
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