Benicia Criterium

- Cat 5
- 2nd out of 36
- No teammates

Physically, this race was, by far, my toughest race ever! I don't know if it's because everybody is in tip-top shape for the end of the season or if it's because of the course. I spent most of the race just trying to stay with the peloton and thought I was going to get dropped. The hard part was the short but steep hill after turn 2 which breaks up your rhythm. Then, after turn 4 is a straightaway with a crazy headwind. Thus, there is really not much time to recover. Because of this, gaps would often form and I found myself constantly bridging gaps to stay with the front half of the group. Eventually, I discovered it was easier to just stay close to the outside and grab the wheel of bridgers since I noticed they usually bridge on the outside. It's a bit euphoric to hear them huffing and puffing while you pass them with a thankful smile only to never see them again. But it worked because at 5 laps to go, I finally made it near the front. I was confused that the referee didn't pull anybody at 5 laps to go because there were people who I thought broke away but were actually being lapped.

At 1 lap to go, I decided my best chance was to attack on the hill and I did. I got into 2nd position and tried to chase down 1st who I didn't see break away. I closed in on him at the last turn but couldn't grab his wheel. At the straightaway, the headwind hit me like a train. I gave it everything I had left and barely kept 2nd. My legs burned like I've never felt before.

I came into this race wanting to end the season with a 1st place finish. However, a sandbagger has crushed my dream lol. I congratulated and spoke with the winner at the podium. It turns out he was donning a skin-suit, had a cycleops power meter, an S-works bicycle with deep section rims, and has been road racing for 4 years in addition to mountain biking. SANDBAGGER!