Recent Race Recaps

Scarborough Time Trial Recap (from my point of view)
BF decided he wanted to try a time trial this year so we picked this one based on the fairly flat nature of the course.
My riding style can best be described as fast downhill with a tendency to be strong on the flats and watch the pack float by me uphill so Crit was telling me all week that I would beat him in this time trial....I almost began to believe it until we did our warm up and I realized that there where just enough hills to slow me down and alas the laws of gravity still applied. BTW when good climbers tell you a course is flat you always have to remember flat is a relative term.

I was 2nd off the line and Crit was 5th giving me a 1:30 gap. I felt ok through the race and was quite excited when I was coming up to the finish line that Crit hadn't passed me yet but then that ominous sound of a rider gaining on me came with 30 meters left to the line (to be clear it was an uphill finish) and I just knew it was Crit. He nipped me at the line to beat me by an even 1:30 but that isn't even the best part. In his infinite kindness Liam bought me a mug with the picture of him over my left shoulder about 60 meters short of the line to commemorate the occasion. You know because that's what are friends are for. BF did well in his first time trial and we all look forward to not doing another TT until next year!

Auburn Lake Recap (from my point of view)
I knew going in this was not a race course suited for my current riding style...this horse is not for that course but was excited to give it my best. As we are driving up and and up and up to get to the start I looked at Crit and said "I know you were sitting there one day saying who can I get to do this race with me and said "homey isn't that bright he will do it"."

Warmup: Hey this course is great it goes down a big....what is that huge cliff in front of me? That is the road?

Lap 1: Started out near the front and no one seemed exited to push the pace up the cliff so it wasn't too bad. I sat in and watched the mayhem that always ensues in a Cat 5 race including lots of yelling at one rider in a yellow jersey who seemed intent on crashing the pack. Hung on throught the finishing hills.

Lap 2: OUCH--just dropped on the cliff, spent the next 2 miles chasing but grabbed back on. I hung on until the last few hills at the end of the lap.

Lap 3: Double OUCH--worked with 4 others to get in...did a a lot of pulling but that was ok.

29th place finish (same time as 27th) isn't bad out of 50 and I look forward to keeping up with the main pack next year.