The most prominent thing I try to do in my racing is,
always race forward. I say always race forward, because it creates more opportunities for success, and hey, if it doesn't work out, you can always go again. I think it is the best way to make friends and allies in this un-glamorous, hard sport we all cherish.
Last weekend, I raced the Off the Front Omnium, a local race for me. Chico looked so appealing, but I thought I would stay in town before I am off to Georgia for a race, followed up by team camp. The prologue was an usual one for this area, two kilometers uphill. I rode my time trial bike, due to the false flat where your speeds exceeded fifty kilometers an hour. I won the prologue with a time of 3:38, with Travis Lyons right close behind.
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| (Photo Credit: Gary Brooks) |
Later in the day was the circuit race, with a hard hill (to my advantage), but with a downhill finish, not exactly my forte. So I was trying to be as active as possible, creating opportunities for myself. In the first ten minutes of the race I got into a breakaway with Travis Lyons, and Nicolas Shaffner. We lasted for about two laps, and were quickly reeled in. Upon being reeled in, the pace quickly slowed as they latched onto us, I saw that as an opportunity to race forward and I attacked. That attack ended up being a fifty minute solo mission, to be reeled in with two laps to go, again, racing forward in my mind, I quickly tried yet again to break from my competitors, every attempt shut down.
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| Digging deep on my solo mission. (Photo Credit: Gary Brooks) |
Now, one to go, I attacked over the hill, shut down, I attack over the next riser, shut down, I attack right before the downhill, and spin as fast as I can to the finish. Only to see "The Beard" AKA Blake Anton blow right past me, quickly followed by Chuck Hutcheson, I tried to match their speed, but my gears stood no match, but I kept pressure on to the finish, closing on my rivals on the flat section to finish third place. Winning the prologue, and placing third in the circuit race placed me in first in the omnium, so I had some defending to do at the Hanford Criterium.
The last race, some are sighing relief, but I am just looking to race as hard as possible, and secure my omnium position. The race started, I rolled through first lap, and for me, that was go time. I started attacking, quickly being brought back and shut down by the field, but every time I was brought back, I went again, and again, and again. I attacked before the second to last turn, shut down, again, but with racing forward in my mind, I went again out of the last turn, and this attack would establish the break. Chuck, myself and Josh Cox would eventually lap the field. The moment we lapped the field, I was once again racing forward, trying to break from my competitors, as I was outnumbered (Three XMX racers, and two Marc Pro Strava racers) so I could single out my competition and put myself in the best position to win. Every attempt to break from my competitors was shut down, time and time again, I never stopped trying until we reached one to go, then I knew it was time for me to sprint.
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| I think that is my frustrated face. (Photo Credit: Gary Brooks) |
Keith Defiebre, being a friend, and supporter saw my frustration with the negativity of the field and led me out approaching the finish. I went as hard as I could into the second to last turn, sprinting as hard as possible out of the turn, cornering the final turn, I put it in gear, and once again sprinted as hard as I could, to be passed in the final fifty meters by Chuck Hutcheson and Josh Cox. Tired and frustrated, yes, but it served as great training for my approaching team camp. Although many of my attacks were shut down, I always tried to follow my instinct and race forward. I raced forward to create opportunities for myself that could result in possible success, although I was chased down numerous times, I never lost hope, and continued to race to finish.
