I arrived an hour before the start and got everything ready. I needed to sign in and put a set of wheels in the wheel van. The race started on time with a neutral rollout until after the cattle grate at turn 1. Everyone made it safely and started the downhill section flat out.
Lap one seemed to start out fast and I was sure that 5 laps at this pace was going to make a few people suffer.We made the turn onto 387 in a big group and started the first part of the climb. Is not really a climb by NorCal standards as it gains about 350 feet in 3 miles. This wasn't even as steep as Sandhill Road. Everyone was in the big ring and we were doing 22 mph all the way up. It gets a little steeper for a couple of hundred yards but still nothing that really causes pain. This was going to be a race for the big guys as they wouldn't get dropped on this climb.
We went through the feed zone and then the road flattened out for about 1/4 of a mile before the finish line. There was no way this wasn't going to be a sprint finish perfect for the big guns.
We went through the finish and started the downhill section to turn 1. About half way down the follow vehicle came up alongside the field and started to tell everyone that we were being neutralized. At this point no one knew why, we weren't being caught by the 3's and we weren't catching the Pro field so it seemed weird. We rolled to a stop at the registration/start line and found out that there had been a big crash at turn 1 in the Pro field. Apparently it involved a number of riders and a car.
Everyone found a shady spot and relaxed as they told us the road was completely closed and it would be that way for a while. As we waited the story of what happened unfolded. A car had got onto the course at turn 1 just in front of the field, as the racers went around the car the driver panicked and slammed on the brakes. 9 riders went down and 1 went through the back window of the Toyota sedan.
We sat for over an hour before hey told us that they would restart the race with the fields going off at 5 minute intervals. Our race would be cut by one lap, so we only had about 55 more miles to race. There was one guy off the front of our field and he was given a 20 second head start before the main field was allowed to chase him down, and chase him down we did. This first lap after the restart would be our KOM lap which meant the pace up the climb should be ballistic this time around.
When we got to the base of the climb the pace picked up but nothing too bad, a small group hung off the front of the main field and they took the KOM about 5 seconds ahead of us. I was tucked in the back of the field well away from the wind at this point.
The next couple of laps were fairly tame until we passed through the finish for the final lap. There was a break of 3 up the road and the teams with GC contenders were trying to bring things back. I moved to the front of the field and maintained a position in the top ten all the way around until we passed the feed zone and started the flat section before the finish. At this point people started to swarm around us and then the field almost came to a complete stop as we slowed before the 200 meter banner, at this point it seemed like a sprint from almost a standing start, I maintained my position in the group and maybe lost a little ground but came in only a couple of seconds behind the winner.
I heard there was a crash with about 5K to go because when I went to the wheel van to get my wheels back they told me that someone had my front wheel. It was returned quickly and I rolled down to the truck to get a drink and start packing for the drive to the hotel.
I'd finished and felt fairly good. I have nowhere near the power needed to contend this sprint but I was in the game anyway.With everything ready for the Crit on Sunday all that was left to do was go get some dinner for recovery.
Food or the day:
Breakfast. 2 turkey cheese tortillas, 2 bananas, banana nut muffin.
Race. Tortilla and almond butter, 4 gells.
Location:Phoenix, AZ
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