Christian's 3 Race Reports in one (Cat's/Scotts Valley)

Cat's Hill Crit. Saturday 5/14/11
Category 4 ..........Master Category 4/5
12 laps/ 12 laps short 25% steep hill

Scotts Valley Crit, Saturday 5/15/11
Category 4
35 minutes

I did two races this Saturday and finished one. The course had many tricks including large slabs of concrete with wheel-sucking cracks and a sharp 90 degree corner entering the Cat's Hill/Wall.

Race 1. In the first race I joined up with 3 Stanford Cycling friends and jumped into the pack for some fun. On lap 10 as I crested the top of the climb I spotted a fading Stanford cyclist drifting backwards at the end of the pack. Well, with a hand on his back I gave him a really good slingshot that pushed him back into the group and me.. into a hedge. In my defense, the hedge jutted out into the course and was really 10 years of trimmed branches covered in leaves that no pruning sheers could have clipped. After it ejected me back into the course on my back, I flung the bike back into the bushes with my feet clipped in and saved a pileup. Solo crash and DNF

Race 2. With a bleeding elbow and bruised calf, I helped Mark Foster scale a 6 foot fence as he was late to the party. The two of us were off with CoreTechs supporters on course cheering us on. I learned that day that having CoreTechs friends yell at you on course makes you want to stay in the front to say hi. So Mark and I stayed in the top 15 most of the race with a final top ten sprint finish.

Race3. Limped 15 minutes before my race with cash in hand to the registration table. Warmed up and started the crit with my friend John and 18 other racers. Super fast course with a windy back section that promoted attacks. After trying 3 breaks, I sat in. John attacked for a prime and I yelled to the group that I'd chase him down. They waited, he won and received the Ipad... (case) it turned out. Finished top ten, went to the beer tent several times, wobbled to the podium for some podium girl pictures, and cheered for Andrew's two races. He rocked a 2nd and then raced with a huge peloton of retired and non retired pros to a finish in the front of the group. Very nice.
-Christian

Pictures: https://picasaweb.google.com/johnwilde/ScottsValley2011#

Pictures: https://picasaweb.google.com/johnwilde/CatsHill2011#

Video first race w/ hedge: http://vimeo.com/23756660