After a winter of spin classes and trainer workouts, I traveled to PA for the first training race of the year. I got in a decent one-lap warm-up then hid in my car for the warm air. We rolled out for a one-lap neutral cruise to the staging area. From the gun, three riders went immediately off the front, but I sat in the field waiting to see how my legs would adjust to race tempo.
The first time up the climb, I honestly expected everyone to stay in contact, so I made the mistake of staying in my position out of the wind near the rear of the field. This was a mistake because there were instant gaps as the front of the field surged away. I was left passing slower climbers, relegated to a day of hard chasing. At the crest of the hill, I was with 3 others and we worked well together to slowly reel in a rider each lap or so.
In the end, the legs felt very good for this early in the season, and I finished 8th. Next week I will be more alert and stay at or near the front from the start and try my luck. Overall, the day was a success on many levels for me - I got to see a few teammates and quite a few of the guys I raced with all last season.
Posted By Ben K.
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