Superweek Day 3

Superweek – Day 3
Tuesday, July 21st
Cat 3/4 Women: Whitnall Park Crit
Approx 20 miles, 22 mph average

Today we were back in Whitnall park for a shorter crit course. Part of the course went backwards on the previous days course making for a very different but fun course. It started with a sharp, greater than 90 degree turn into a small 5%ish grade hill. The back side had a false flat to a small downhill into a longer false flat with a small headwind. After that, it was an easy sweeping downhill to the flat and fast finish. The first few laps were pretty mellow, it kind of seemed like everyone was warming up and seeing how their legs felt on day 3 of racing. There were a few attacks but they did not stick for long. It was a very hard course to find a good place to attack and stay away. We didn’t have any primes to mix up the race, so that also seemed to keep the attacks down. Because of the width of the road, it provided lots of opportunities to move up on the outsides. When the pace slowed down, that meant positioning would have to be fought for. Everyone seemed to be vying for position from lap 1 and some folks were more aggressive than others. One woman tapped my hip to let me know she was on my side (where I couldn’t see her) because we were all so squeezed together in the front of the field. Later, that same woman would do the same to another rider who apparently didn’t want to be tapped b/c she yells “don’t touch me!”. Then, the verbal altercation ensued! Back and forth they went, and I knew there was one way to stop them from yapping at each other – ATTACK! I was just contemplating attacking when the SRAM girl attacked from the back left of the pack. YES! I had worked hard the last two days to bring many of the attacks back, and I decided today I would let others do the larger share of the work. If someone went, I jumped on their wheel, but I didn’t initiate the chase. The last couple of laps, I found a good wheel 3-5 back and worked hard to stay on it. Then, on the last lap we were all together and I was holding my position and then an unexpected attack from a rider came from the back of the field on the left side and the field went crazy! I try not to panic b/c for one second I think there is no way I can ever make up all the spots I just lost. I look for a wheel. I find one and hang on, the pack sort of yo-yos a bit as we crest the false flat and go down the small decline and I just keep pedaling and adding gears. I find an opening on the outside left and sit a second or two behind a group of 5+ riders. I jump around them in the final 200 meters and just give it all I have. Im out of gears so I spin as fast as I can. I cant believe I have made up this many positions. I somehow manage a 4th place finish! Wow! Where did that sprint come from?! Very happy today! :)