Post date: Jul 18, 2010 3:12:43 AM
This weekend was my first collegiate cycling racing experience and I had a lot of fun out there. Saturday’s race in Dansville was quite surreal. Riding the pothole ridden streets of Chicagoland for training definetly helped during the dirt road portion of the race. I didn’t know quite what to expect when seeing a giant tractor hauling hay in the middle of a race though. At the beginning of the race, I was quite nervous, not knowing where to start to get in the right position to stay with the lead pack. I didn’t want to stay towards the back because I was afraid of being dropped, and I also didn’t want to stay in the front, knowing I couldn’t keep up with the leaders for long. I ended up getting stuck on the righthand side of the dirt road, not being able to get around two MSU racers. Fortunately being in that spot, I ended up missing the crash that split up the pack in two during the first turn. I worked feverishly with another Purdue rider to try to catch up with the lead pack for a lap and a half, but it was to no avail. Instead I dropped back and got into a pack of 3 MSU riders that worked together to try to catch the lead pack. We never did and I ended up getting dropped by that group just before the final turn. I’m just glad to finish the road race without crashing or being lapped by the Men’s A group.
I still have a bit to learn about the hand gestures and terminology involved with group riding, but Saturday’s race helped me prepare for Sunday’s cold, quick, sunny race in Ann Arbor. However the 1000 calorie breakfast an hour before the race did not help much. Apparently you’re supposed to carbo load the night before the race, not the day of. I lined up early near the front of the pack but had a problem clipping in, which put me in the middle of the lead pack. I narrowly missed another crash, this one taking down at least 2 other riders and again splitting up the lead pack. I was on the tail end of the pack with another rider with a Chicago Triathlon jersey (Depaul rider?) for the remainder of the race and ended up being dropped by him in the final lap or two. Ended up finishing 20th.
Thanks to everyone from the team for a great experience and I can’t wait to race again!
Peter M