Rode out to Golden with Jeff and Jeremy. On the way there, ran across a couple guys, talked to them and found out they were going out there too, for one of the guy's first race, or maybe it wasn't - he couldn't remember if he'd raced a crit before (???? how can you not remember - a crit isn't exactly an experience you tend to forget???). Had 2 flat tires on the way out.
Got there eventually, and surfed the back of the 4s race to warm up. About 4 laps in, on the final corner, we heard the tell-tale sound and the field parted around that 1st (2nd?) race guy sitting on the pavement looking around like we were all martians. I think he went home.
Our race started, and I was determined to get in that night's break, even if I couldn't hang for the whole race. Our field is a veritable host of pros (Jason Donald - 2nd in prologue at tour of California 2007, Jon Garcia - BMC pro, and Colby Pierce - national track champ and Garmin pro) and cat 1 vets. Getting, and staying, in the break is no small feat. But I've been encouraged by my friend Richard's new-found interest in attacking and racing aggressive, so I was more than interested in trying. I've always been like that - I think it's way more fun to make the race than to sit in and wait for a sprint.
No dice - every break I went with or bridged to was eventually brought back - none of them had that elusive mix of talent and broad team representation to stay away, so the pack always brought us back.
A field sprint it was to be. On the last lap up the chicane I found myself in good position to move up, and about halfway up I found Taylor, our sprinter. I ordered him on my wheel, and wove my way up through the pack on the climb. We rounded the corner somewhere in the top 15, and I had to find a wheel to lead us out. I picked Bob Pinkerton, a 45+ superstar on Vitamin Cottage. Little did I know, however, that Bob isn't a sprinter and wasn't going to mix it up. So I waited for his jump, which never came. 300m to go I jumped anyway, but way out of reach for the win. Taylor jumped around me at the last minute for 8th - I rolled in 9th. Not too bad, all things considered.
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