Alright, I decided to write my race report tonight.
First, let me begin by congratulating the Professor and the rest of the Setanta team for our aggressive effort today.
Today's race hurt like a bitch! I forgot how much sprints races freakin' hurt, considering the fact that the last one I did was two years ago in the 5 field. I finished second there, too.
First lap: The pack stayed together until the sprint. Approaching Cat's Paw, Neil, Alister and I got organized near the front. Neil pulled first and dropped off. I got to the front and lead Alister out to a second place finish.
The second lap was a blur. I tried to sprint for points, but didn't place.
Third lap: I stayed on Alister's wheel and he brought me up to the front of the pack near horse shit alley. Leading up to the sprint, the pack was so spread out, we had to do some maneuvering to find an opening. Although I lost Alister's wheel, I still managed to get third just behind him.
Next lap, I was pretty far back when we got to the sprint. From my vantage point, it didn't seem like the team or the field were very organized. Alister crashed out in the middle of the sprint and I was pushed into the pedestrian lane. I had to fight my way back to contend for the sprint and was inched out by Christophe for a 3rd place finish.
After the sprint, Todd pulled up next to me and told me about Alister's crash. Just past Harlem Hill a group of 20 or so riders broke away from the main pack. I saw three Setanta riders in the break, so I wasn't sure if closing the gap was the right move. Because I wasn't sure if any of our team's designated sprinters were in the break, I decided to bridge the gap (completely by myself with virtually no help from the rest of the pack). I felt confident that I could catch the break, so from about the mid 70's to Tavern on the Green I led the field until we finally closed the gap.
At that point, I got behind Todd and let him know that I was on his wheel. We had a 4 man Setanta train on the right hand side of the field. The order was as follows: Neil, Todd, me, then Ira. Neil pulled off at the downhill approaching Cat's Paw. Todd led me until just past the light. At this point, I had flashback of the crash that broke my collar bone and knew I couldn't let anyone pass me. I was over-geared and went too early, but I still managed to cross the line first. I couldn't have done it without the help Neil and Todd. And congrats to Ira on his third place finish.
Jeff- don't hold your breath too long... I'm back, baby!!!
- The Marmot