Circuit Race: Monterey: Andrew-4/5 race

Central Coast Circuit Race (in Monterey at Fort Ord-Oct 2nd-they run this three times a year)
Commute: 1:40
Cat 4/5: 25 racers
Teammates: Mark Foster, Gregg Shores

I ended the year as I started, 4th place. Arrgg. Have to say it is all a matter of perspective. When I finished fourth at the Top Sport Stage race in Copperopolis last March, I was thrilled. Now; not so much. I have found that I need to learn to finish a sprint. I seem to under gear so that when I start the sprint, it feels good, but then spin out at the finish. I find you can not shift up during the final of a sprint, so I am stuck in a seated sprint. I have done this several times and it has cost me each time. I guess that gives me something to really focus on this winter.

The race started at 11:15am. I love that. Just great to not have to wake up at 4:30am to get to a race. The course is on closed roads, though twice a car passed us and once we saw two recreational riders out on the course, so keep the eyes open! The first lap started very leisurely. No one was willing to hammer, so we road it at a nice pace for a warm up. The course basically has three hills. Each is short, maybe 250 meters, and none are very steep. I would say the steepest (hill number three) is about 7%. There is then a sweeping downhill till you reach a 90 degree right turn. After that turn you have about 150 meters to the finish which is a slight up hill (maybe 5% grade). I noticed that in the September race, the guy who won it was in our race. He was wearing a Mission Cycling kit, so I kept an eye on him.

On lap three they had a prime. That is a prize to the winner of that lap. For this race it was a bottle of wine. I had no intention of going for it, but was in second position coming around that 90 degree turn to the finish so figured what the heck. I sprinted for it and was passed about a bike length from the line by the guy in the Mission Cycling kit. At least now I knew he was one to seriously watch!

There were a few surges here and there but there but for the most part the pack stayed together. Coming into the last lap (I think we did six laps) the pace picked up and you could feel the tension pick up with it. I wanted to keep myself in the top five to eight riders so I had a shot at the end. I would jump from one rider to the next as someone would try and shoot out for a lead. Coming into the final right hand turn I found myself in third position. Once we hit that 150 meter to the uphill finish, I sprinted past the second guy and was closing quick on the first guy. With about 25 meters to go I was spinning and could not stand so had to stay seated. All I could do was try and pick up the leg turnover. I got to half a bike length of the leader when two San Jose Cycling team guys pushed through. They knocked shoulders with me to squeeze through on the line. All four of us crossed the line within a tire of each other. Turns out the guy who won was the teammate of the Mission Cycling kit guy I was watching (there were two of them in the race). The guy I was watching finished in 5th, so I beat him!

This is a very fun course and pretty safe. There is one turn that you have to pay attention too. It is just before the downhill to the long straight away that leads to the 90 degree finish turn. Otherwise it is straight forward. The hills make is challenging, but not so challenging that you have to worry about them. It is a good power climber course. Not for those little guys who climb OLH in 17 minutes. More for the big strong guys. I will do this race several times next year!



Andrew
www.coretechscycing.com