$400 to first place here, a lot of people made the trip. Had a 36 rider field on the flattest course I have ever seen. If it wasn't for the wind on the last stretch before the final turn into the finish line I doubt there would have been as many people getting away. I planned on being very active in the first 20 minutes, turned out, Tradewind was planning on taking it easy the first 20, after all, it was 100 degrees out and it was going to be an 80 minute crit. So I got in all these moves, but tradewind wasn't doing anything, it was very unlike them. I made a great move, had 2 guys up the road maybe 15 seconds, and this guy in a u.s. kit on my wheel, I pull him around the whole course, then move over to let him pull through, and the dude attacks me. Swings right 30 feet and destroys himself. Couldn't believe it. Just left me there. I sat up, waited for the field, and about 1 minute later the field catches him with the 2 still away. After being in so many failed moves I sit in, towards the back, by now I am hot and tired and see 34 laps to go, great. Next few laps aren't bad, Jensen attacks and 2 go with him. The guy Jensen is pretty strong now, he can sit on his seat with his hands on the hoods and lay down 900 watts for 3 minutes. I'd like to put a power meter on his bike to see. Dudes out of the saddle heads down barely hanging on to his wheel as he's just riding away.
So Jensen and 2 others are off the front aways, and eventually Tilford goes and a bunch go with him. This is where it kind of sucks to be in a 1/2/3 race. There were a bunch of dudes towards the front of the race who couldn't go, and it was way to hard to jump around all of them to get up to the lead group with all the gaps forming. Guess I know next time to stay at the front.
So the next 10 laps are pretty uneventful. There are 12 guys up the road and no one motivated to make a move. A few guys try but nothing real goes. Then Jensen and the other 2 lap us, a few laps later Tilfords group of 10 catches and we all stay together for the final 8 laps or so.
I end up beating everyone that was in my group I believe, I laid down a good sprint and had good speed through the last corner.
Lining up to the race I don't believe everyone was thinking, we have to beat Tradewind. Yes, of the top 5 racers there, 3 of them were tradewind, but I'm pretty sure everyone there were ready to work with them. No one was "against" them. Tilford complains of racing 3 vs. 40 or so. It wasn't like that at all. Pretty much every move that went away had a tradewind guy in it, because the all the racers knew that if it didn't, then tradewind would bring it back. Which is what happened. Then you see things like Tilford clipping his pedal and jumps a bit, on the widest turn of the race, and everyone slows down and asks if he's ok. Everyone in the field knew that if they wanted a good result they had to race with them, not against.
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