A very tough race. A technical course i would liken to Bike the Bricks or the old tuesday nighters Chris Watson used to put on in Ft. Worth. Everyone knew this was the course you had to start on the front line and keep good position through the first several laps just to have a chance at finishing. So of course, Todd and I started behind two guys who chose today to learn about the intricacies of the clipless pedal system and attempting a race start on the front line. I have honestly never seen anyone take so long to attach their foot to a bicycle. Near dead last, it took me 4 or 5 laps (and a LOT of energy) to move up to a decent position, and several more laps after that to recover.
A points prime lap was coming up and Todd motioned for me to get on his wheel for the lead out. Like clockwork, we jumped and made an easy meal of 5 omnium points. A few laps later, Danny Parks and 5 or 6 others had managed a 22 second gap on us which stuck for the rest of the race. Almost. At 5 to go, as we would pass the start finish line, the announcer would call us sissies and tell us to turn our jersey's inside out, that we were bad bike racers if we couldn't pull the break back. Funny now, it was probably just what we needed to pull the break back. (by 'we' i mean someone else. I was exhausted from sprinting for the points prime).
So with four to go, Todd rolled up alongside and I told him that I didn't have what it took to bridge or chase. He did however, and told me if he pulls the break back he won't have anything for the end. So here's where it gets good: Todd and a couple of others put in the monster pulls to bring the break back to within striking range. Now the 'one to go' bell sounds and a chase group splinters off the front. So it's break of 6, short gap to chase of 10ish, short gap to strung out field. With less than half a one mile lap to go, we all come back together and todd and i slide close to the front. But wait! one guy made a solo move when we caught the break! He's now 100M up the road. At least we're in position for a good lead-out if only that one RBM guy in front of Todd will get out of the way first. Sure enough, RBM takes off, Todd goes on his wheel and i'm stuck to Todd's. At about 600M, Todd passes RBM still accelerating in the saddle. I can start to feel the breath of the pack all around and yell at todd to "GO! GO TODD!!" hoping he can give me about 100 more meters of acceleration. Now closing the gap to the solo rider, i jump hard with 200m to the last corner and 200m to the line after that. Todd, spent, peeled off into the grass on the side of the road so he wouldn't cause a crash. I came into the last corner FAST and sprinted hard, all alone and closing in on the solo guy. I got 2nd by about 10 feet. He had exploded and slowed but still had enough gap to take the win.
Today was an awesome example of what organized teamwork and a little bit of communication can do in a technical crit, even when you're not in a breakaway. Todd really busted his butt in that race and if he hadn't chased down the break, the chase group, and organized the two leadouts, we would've been 30th or 40th place and the break would've stayed away for sure. Now we have a 2nd place finish and 2nd overall in the omnium thanks to his efforts and our communication!
