Webster Crit and Good Bye StL

So the Webster Crit is one of my favorite races and with The Hub sponsoring there is alittle more incentive to show up in a big way. Fast forward to one lap to go in the 3/4 race, my legs felt great and because our guy for the race got crashed out I was ready to go for the glory. Unfortunately my day ended with a crash just after the first corner of the course. By the time I got off the grass and looked around bodies and bikes were laying all around. Some guys got hurt pretty bad and one required an ambulance. Fortunately I only have scrapes on my arms and knees. Until the today they were not bothering my but now they itch like crazy. At the time of the crash I had just called to Devin I was right behind him and then seconds later I was face planted in the grass. My frame was cracked as a result of the crash so that was pretty frustrating and my carbon wheels damaged. Scott has a really good frame replacement program so I will have a replacement at a good price. I have not said much about race but thats really it. I felt great but got crashed out period. Since my frame was cracked on the seat tube I got the nod to race on it once more. Pretty frustrated I wanted to finish the P/1/2/3 race. Only a field of about 45 lined up for it. I felt fine the entire the race only that one of my bottle cages was broken in the crash thus leaving me with only one bottle. This was factor at the end of the race because I was all out of water and hurting for fluids. Devin was riding pretty far up in the field so it took quite some time to muster up the energy to get to him to ask for some fluids. He hook me up but on the last lap my legs locked up going up the slight riser and I couldnt contest the field sprint. I rolled in for 20th place. Happy that I finished that race but still very disappointed at my tactics in the 3/4 race. I should have been more aggressive on last lap because the field bunched up at time of crash. Mental note to not hold back just for sprint and take a chance getting there.

So now that my Addict is cracked I needed a bike to take with me to Maryland. I recently sold an older CR1 I had and I'm using that money to purchase a Giant Rabobank Team Advanced frame/fork. All my SRAM Force is going on it and I'll have that shipped to me in Maryland. As for the Scott once my replacement frame is here I will have that built back up with a Force/Rival mix. Both bikes should look pretty wicked!

Leaving for Maryland Thursday. I found a race there next weekend I will do, so I'm pretty excited about that and its back to Stl for the weekend to do the Soulard crit.

Later

Whats been up?

Several poor performances in my last few weeks of racing and some travel for work so I have been less than enthused about this season. A good thing is the team has done really well. Devin won the Cat 3 State Road Race.

Raced well tonight in the Tues Worlds, they had ankle chips so I should know my official placing I would guess 9th or 10th. I really need to transfer my Tues World performances to other races I would be alot happier.

My season here will come to an end pretty soon. I'm heading back to Maryland for work next Thursday. I will only race Webster, Soulard, and Gateway the rest of this year. I'll have to fly back for the last two on that list. I should get some good riding in while in Maryland.

Monday night beat down

In an effort to get back in shape relatively quickly I decided tonight to really push the envelope. Taking some pretty hard pulls at the front until the legs really just didn't have it anymore. I rode to my limit tonight and at one point I was dropped then willed myself back to the chase group sprinting on to catch the back not giving up while letting out loud screams of anger! Felt good to go to that limit. I would have usually called it a day when first dropped, not tonight. I recovered and put in a few more pulls before hitting the wall again. I felt bad briefly because I rode this guys tire the last 2 miles or so, all the way in. Kind of odd though, when it was his turn to pull through he would say sitting on or something and not do work in the paceline. So I didn't feel bad about letting him tow me in. He tried sprinting or dropping me on the final stretch but since he towed I figured I wouldnt even sprint past him, could have done it easily but for what eh?

Tues worlds tomorrow.