This course was very tight, especially with a field of over 50. There course was also marked with numerous obstacles like 2 drainage gratings in the corners, brick lining the front stretch, and a big rut on corner 2. The Orbea handled the rough stuff quite well. I know I ran over the drain twice in corner one without a problem.
The race started very quickly stringing the field out to stretch most of the main straight. It took a few laps to learn the corners and settle in for the torture. The rest of the race was filled with attacks as there were many strong riders who thought they could stay away because of the technical nature of the course. No break was able to last more than a lap or two nor gain any more than about 10 seconds. It was really rough with the constant surging. I was able to stay comfortable riding near the front and chasing the attacks. Yes, I was one of the reasons that the breaks didn't work.
The race was decided on the back stretch of the finallap as the riders fought for position going into corner 3 and 4. I gained only one position on the sprint from a pro woman racer who passed me on the back stretch. That netted me 13th place.
With a 26 mph average, this race could have been very dangerous, but I have to say that the riders were really holding their lines well and that is what made it a good experience. At least that's the way it was at the front. I also have to credit the organizers with great job of pulling riders. We never had to avoid a lapped rider.
