Hyde Park Blast Criterium

So Today was pretty fun. I had some friends out on the course today and I love racing in Hyde Park. The little hill on the course took its toll about halfway in and a break of 13 or so got away. I did my usual thing and waited until it was too late and tried to bridge up, again there is the right way, and my way.

But I actually made it across this time!!!!!! I’m pretty sure that effort took years off my life but whatever I made it, for the next 5 laps it took everything I had to stay pinned on the back of the break, I was holding onto the bars so hard my bar tape started coming undone! I was so bad off it actually crossed my mind to start holding onto jerseys.

I honestly don’t really remember many of the details for the rest of the race, I kind of blacked out. I know 4 guy got away, 3 of which were from Roadhouse(don’t you get sick of beating up on people yet?!?!?!?) and I led out the sprint and actually spun out a 53-11 and ended up in 7th.

Shoutouts: 1) Andew Naylor my housemate for coming down and ringing a cowbell the whole time 2) Jim Matson for not only picking up my wheels from the Ipro guys but then putting them in the Pit for me, thanks Jim 3) Todd Creek for making sure my wheels I left at Tour d’Burg last week made it to the race today, I swear im getting dumber with every race 4) Stubna for making the break and riding like a bloody champ, he was awesome today 5) Swain for being Swain and not crashing 6) Fisher and Joe for getting married 6) All the other Savage Hill folks for staying and cheering for us, seriously that stuff helps 7)Arbys for being the best post race meal ever.

It's weird, when the race is on, what's happening seems crystal clear, but in trying to relate the details afterward, I have the same problem: it all becomes a blur in retrospect. I remember attacking to help the chase group form, seeing John Minturn and a couple of T.R. make the winning move and not being able to do anything about it, seeing P. Martin do his patented 'solo bridge up to the break' move, barely hanging on the last lap for 12th place.

The rest is kind of hard to filter out from the suffering induced haze.

Some things that sucked:
-- warming up and realizing that the entire TR team showed up for the race . . . better start looking for that suitcase of courage right now
-- trying to draft off of Gamm . . . let me know if you figure out how to do this, because I sure haven't
-- being a newb and pulling in the straightaway before the hill and then seeing people attack around me on the hill and having to kill myself to get back on . . . I did this multiple times before I learned
-- Mark K.'s pedestrian crushing monster SUV sucking up the gasoline . . . I ordered a sandwich, took a nap, and this thing was still filling up with gas half an hour later

Some things that rocked:
-- racing with Swain and Gamm
-- having so many people cheering for us every time around . . . thanks for the support!
-- seeing Gamm duke it out for 3rd in the field sprint (from my vantage point way in the back)
-- finishing in the very last payout spot, woohoo
-- more cowbell

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Some pics of the Cat 3/4 race, which had 80 starters, the largest field ever for Hyde Park so the announcers said.


Pics from the 1/2/3 race

This one was a constant tempo ride for 45 minutes - almost no letup. The little square with the narrow climb and four turns in quick succession meant a lot of yo-yo-ing for all but the first group of riders. I had a couple of moments half way into the race where I was ready to abandon because of the required sprint every time out of that fourth turn. It was wearing me out! I'm glad I hung on, however, as the field kept shrinking with each lap. Didn't have the strength to get up to the front on the final lap so I was relegated to sprinting for the best of the rest.

This was one very HOT race. 79 starters, not many finishers as they were pulling people once you were half a lap down.

I'm glad they changed the course from last years race. I think this made the event more challenging. I was slow in the roundabout but not too bad. The worst part was missing my pedal off the start and getting relegated to the pack for the climb up to the narrow turn at the top, nothing like slowing to a crawl and turning the corner to see the leaders already starting the descent. I steadily caught back up and worked my way through traffic. In the last 5 laps I remember 2 times having the feeling that I should attack but didn't. So afterwards I was kicking myself for not doing so.

I'd be interested to know where I actually finished because I don't think there could have been more then 25 left at the end. Sorry Jay for not taking your advice. Finished with the field taking a few people in the sprint. Thanks to Wendy and Mike for cheering.

On the positive side we found a great place to eat afterwards called the Hyde Park Tavern and Grille. You gotta hit it.

Fun course. Fast flats, a climb that took its toll after twenty-some odd laps, and a nice round about to make things interesting. No placing, but I got to enjoy the fruits of the Savage Hill labor; Stubna bought me a Subway with his race winnings.
GREAT JOB hangin' with the big boys Mike.