Moots and I Off the Front
It was ladies nite at The Driveway, so I started setting up the PA at about 4:30 for the Womens 4/Junior race. It went off at 5 PM on the lower loop. I took my BIG PA so the tunes were bustin’. It was just a great atmosphere with two seperate tented areas. The women were running a clinic and racing on the upper loop and the rest of the races were on the lower loop (an awesome course). I have never seen so many women and junior racers in my life. Great for Texas racing.
The Cat 4/5 went out at pedestrian pace (which was fine w/ me). I moved around the pack alot. The short uphill S was my spot to move up and the long downhill after it as well. With six to go on the upwind leg to the S, I had momentum to take me to the front, it was a wide front (5 bikes wide), but I was working too hard and was ahving trouble slotting back in. Took me half a lap to recover. With 5 and 4 to go I went on a short break with a guy who pulled two complete laps, I wheelsucked as it was he and I and I was not going to the front again. I heard the pack behind shortly, though single file.
With three to go I still had relatively fresh legs and on the last lap I moved inside and started moving up. I finished about 18th (of 66), but had my number upside down (like a moron) so didn’t make the list. It was without question my best finish ever. On the last lap the field broke into 2 grupos (about 15 yards apart) with stragglers behind that. I finished in the 1st grupo of about 25. That was the most fun I’ve had racing EVER.
So much so I raced the 35+ race as well, or at least I started it. Went until about 3 to go then blew up and rode off the course. Much faster than the 4/5 race. The guys from Joe’s Bikes were killing it with AT&T’s Eric Benz. Lot’s of 3′ and some 2′s as well in that race.
If you haven’t come to the Driveway, you are really missing out. This weekend will be awesome as well with the Texas Aged Base Crit Championship held out there.
Great job even coming off being sick the previous week.