I scrambled out of work, and got to the crit track with just a few minutes to warm up. I changed into the stretchy green and black lycra riding costume and then…..noticed a cut in my sidewall and a small bubble of tube seeping out. “I don’t see an extra tire lying around here so……let’s ride”.
GO time, and we were off. After the first 10 minutes we were down to 5 riders with the stragglers a good 20 seconds off the pace. I didn’t have anything close to the snap I have had in recent weeks, and was relying more than ever on draft positioning as the wind shifted from time to time, following the right wheels, and drilling it on my pulls to prevent counter-attacks. With two laps left we had a party of 3 riders. I reluctantly pulled the last lap because JB and G-Man were forcing me forward, but with 300 meters left I hopped onto the wheel of a dropped rider who was trying not to get lapped…..it gave me 10 seconds to rest, and then it was full gas to the line and I won by less than a wheel. Too close for my taste.
Race #2 was ON 5 minutes later, and this time we were down to a party of 3 riders only halfway though after some early attacks. I was watching JB like a hawk as he wanted to drop the third guy in our group and make it mano a mano to the line. I was having none of that, and let him go on a break with 10 minutes left – working with the Gold Man to bring him back. We were within 3 seconds of JB and I told Gold Man to let him dangle off the front for a bit….make him look back a lot and wonder if we were going to just catch on or counter….we made him wait, and wait, and then when he looked forward I took off and drilled it with 2 laps left. Both guys stayed with me, but I went full gas and with one lap left I flicked my elbow to wave ‘em through. Nothing. I flicked again. Nothing. These guys were as cooked as I was. JB finally went for it and I had to pull an inside out effort to get on his wheel, but I made it. I sat on him, recovered, and with 200 meters to the line all I had to do was come around him for a pretty easy two length win.
Holy shit was I toast after that second crit. We swapped war stories about the races for a few minutes and everyone went on their way. I felt lucky to win ‘em both – mostly due to age/experience because I wasn’t the strongest guy out there. Everybody knows the key to giving yourself a chance in crit/road racing – all you have to do is gut yourself a handful of times for 15-30 seconds and not lose that wheel in front of you. If you can get through that mental/physical barrier then you have a chance at the end. It’s just a matter of wanting it more than anything else in the world at that particular moment, really.
The tube/tire obviously held. Love them Continental tires….that tire lasted two full seasons
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