Twin Sizzler

Hot, hot day. Started this race with a long uphill climb out of town. By the end of it, I realize I am all alone. So, I decide to see how long I can hold off the other women. I know who's behind me. I ended up time trialing by myself for around 15 miles. Then, the lead pack of women catch me. By the time the second group of women catch up, I have caught my breath, and grab a wheel. There is also a large group of guys working with the pack. So, I grab a wheel as they take back off. We end up catching the lead women's pack going back into town. I just grab a wheel and stay out of the way.

The course was rough, literally. I think I counted a least six railroad crossing, most of them not very smooth. There were unmarshalled intersections, where the riders did not have the right of way. And there there was the concrete pavement coming back into town. I think I'll do a stage race next 4th.

Remind me not to do this race again next year.

The course had a lot more roll to it then I was expecting. I missed the break because I had just gotten done chasing down an attempt through a chicane. Once the break got clear nobody wanted to chase (probably because Mike House was driving it). I probably tried half a dozen times to get free but the field would chase me down and sit on my wheel. A couple of times 2 rider from spinbikeshop.com would go with me and work but always had the same result. At one point about 3/4 of the way through I found myself at the front driving the field in exces of 30mph for about 3 miles, nobody would come around me. I tried going off to the left, I tried going off to the right. One guy actually said "I'm not coming around you into the wind"...ok, fine, so I sat up on next climb and field made its way around.

The reason I didn't like this race was 2 fold. 1, registration chaos due to 3 other events happening at the same time in the same location. 2, I've never seen so many RR crossings on a course or such bad concrete on the run back into town.