Timpani Criterium: Putting Things Together

- Cat 5
- 5th out of 50
- No teammates

Finally started piecing things together in this race. Theory, training, experience, and brand new Speedplay Zero pedals! At the starting line I picked out some familiar faces I wanted to follow. Two who beat me (5th & 10th place) at Coyote Creek due to my crash and a Team Oakland guy who came in 4th while I came in 24th in my first race (EBC crit).

This race was crazy and I'm just happy I survived. The whole time I was trying to move up and avoid the classic Cat 5 stuff with guys trying to dodge dots, braking and cutting through the inside on turns, and guys trying to hit me with their elbows. That's why it wasn't a surprise to hear crashes to the left and right me. The screams, sound of crashing metal, and inner tube explosions made it sound like a war zone. Brian and Ed said it looked like a scene from Saving Private Ryan with bodies flying 10 feet into the air like they stepped into a minefield lol! Today was my first time seeing Cervelo SLC-SL fork blades snapped in half and tacoed wheels. Also, I now know the glorious sound of pinch flats over potholes. They happened twice to riders next to me and I was just thankful that it wasn't me.

Every time I heard a crash, I just took Garry's advice to not look back and attack lol. This race was much better after upgrading from Eggbeaters to Speedplay pedals. I wasn't as nervous about pedaling through corners so I was much more confident. Thus, I didn't allow any gaps to form in front or wasted any energy accelerating out of the turn. I was able to stay fresh until the last corner. I wanted to sprint out of it but decided not to because it was too windy and I did not want to make the same mistake of gasing out before the finish like last time. The guy from Team Oakland started sprinting so I used him as my lead out and swung around when my speed picked up just like at practice. After that, it was just savoring the moment of seeing people disappear from the corner of your eyes =)

In the end, the Coyote Creek guys came in 22nd and 23rd. The Team Kaiser dude came in 10th. I think all the training is starting to pay off.