As the race started I quickly was having déjà vu of the 2011
tour of new Braunfels road race where the entire cat 1/2 got disqualified for
riding left of the center line. As the winds picked up, so did the number of
teams that went to the front to try to put the field in the gutter to get some
damage done. However if there was any sort of draft found left of center, riders
were willing to take it. I kept waiting to hear the official follow car to come
up and honk, neutralize or disqualify riders, but that never came. I kept to
the right of yellow along with many other riders who knew that is the safe,
right, and noble thing to do. Riding over the yellow line is cheating.
“But everyone else is doing it.” True, but are you going to
race by example and integrity, or are you going to risk your life, my life, and
the quality of the race because creating a second echelon is out of the
question. Be a leader, do not do the wrong thing if that is what everyone else is doing. I have found in my racing experience that it is typically the faster
categories that have the highest number of center line infringement, I am
guessing that it is the pride that comes with having a cat 1 license that gives
some racers the “do whatever it takes to not get dropped” mentality. Do not cheat, read a book on second echelons instead. Do the right thing for cycling.
The rules are there for your safety.
Actual Race Report
As the race progressed through the first lap I was being a
little too aggressive. Images of the early break forming and
sticking were still in my head from last year. If the winds were forecasted
as bad as they should be, then if an early break were to get caught late in the
race there will be hardly a field left to contest the finish. I quickly found
myself getting frustrated with my inability to get off the front. I decided it
was time for me to race off the several 5+ person teams that were present in
the race. For the second of three laps, I found myself near the front riding just
behind Th!nk F!nance, and occasionally helping with their echelon. Th!nk was
one of the teams that ended up missing the break at the start of the second lap
and were in chase mode since then. As we started the last lap of the race the
early break was within sight and we could see that they were slowly coming back
to us. As we started heading westward on the course (back to the finish)
attacks started coming from a few of the riders who have been sitting in most
of the day. I was fine riding the front of the race through most of this.
However with about 10 miles to go when the field started falling apart in the
strong cross winds I found myself riding a little too close to the edge of the
road. I quickly found myself displaying my cyclecross skills, or lack there of,
and found my self literally being propelled off the back of race. I quickly sprinted
after the thinning pack but the winds were pushing me back. Hours of riding in
the wind, as well as my early race aggression were starting to show. I never
caught the remainder of the pack and ended up finishing just off the back.
I was a little frustrated with the things played out for me.
My off road skills took me off the back of race. However this race also has me
hungry to go into the rest of the early Texas races with a take no prisoner
mentality. (Pace Bend post should be up soon after this Walburg post, right now I just get registered for Lago Vista and plan to really stretch my legs there. Team camp will be the following week)
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