Fitchburg Circuit Race

Click to make this pic from Brian at Stefanish.com bigger. This is the Reston sprint. My head is down because I was trying to see where everyone was because I thought I had gapped them. It all worked out. Two reston starts, two w's!


Today's 28 mile circuit race was crazy fast from the gun. I made sure I had a decent start because I didnt want to chase from the gun. Plus I wanted to see how the double step up hill would treat my legs. 9 laps total. From the gun it was a points lap. It was a false downhill to start with a nice left then right hander. Fun. Then we had a steady downhill where I couldnt go any faster than my 53x12 allowed. I put on the 12x27 because of the 30 second climb/lap. That way, I never had to come out of the big ring.

Anyway, was first into the last turn up the big hill and my momentum carried me halfway up. I was happy to pick up some points for the effort. The rest of the race I just didnt feel all that great. I easily floated down the back hill with hardly any effort. This was good because I could go into the final corner in the top 5 and then use my momentum to get up the shorter 1st hill. Then, the 125#ers would start sprinting up the 30 second 15% climb. It was funny because they would easily pass me as I just rode tempo up the hill, floating to the back. At the top of the hill, there was a serious right hander and everyone sprinted out of that too. Again, funny. I just rode easy and let skinny dudes pass. Then, on the downhill, I didnt even have to sprint to move to the front. I would drift up and take the top5. I would then just use my momentum to get up the 1st hill and then the skinny kids would roll past me on the 2nd steep climb. No big deal. I think I finished in the 50s or 60s without losing any time. Fine with me.

Tomorrow is a bone flat crit. Thank goodness. I know that I am at a disadvantage because of the work I put in on the road race. Thats ok. I love the challenge. All I need is to conserve for one good sprint.

One interesting note is the race leader's story. There is an under 20 Aussie national team racing the 3s. They looked on bikereg.com a month ago and only saw 20 juniors signed up. They didnt realize that hottubes and hincapie would be at fitchburg. I am certain the juniors are just as fast but there are less of them. Anyway, the Aussies are doing a great job for their GC man. He's an 18 year old kid who cannot weigh more than 115#s. He earned all his time on the 5k climb summit finish in the RR. All he has to do now is sit on his teamates wheels to cruise to victory. Good for them.