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Jim 2nd and Abraham 5th at the Grant's Tomb Criterium!
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Saturday, March 15, 2008
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Jim in green before the line, Abe hidden on the right against barricades |
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Jim: Felt great to be a top finisher. Congrats to Abe for 5th. Thanks Team.
My 60-dollar winnings for 2nd go to the next food or drink tab!!!!
Abraham: Jim, my respects to you!!! That was an impressive race, you did just great, it was a very fast and aggressive ride. I never thought it will be that hard, I got boxed in the middle of the sprint so I couldn't do better. The team looked very strong, Jeff was bouncing racers off of him, great job man!!! It was a very fun race, looking forward to more races with Team Organic Athlete!
Brian: TOA was nada two years ago and now we place 2 guys in the top 5 in a pretty prestigious local race. Man I'm proud! |
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Abraham after the race |
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Jim: My race experience went like this....
As we were on the course doing laps to warm up, we came to start finish about 10 minutes before the race started and I was dismayed to find 50 or more guys already lined up. So needless to say our whole crew started in the back third of the peloton.
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Although I felt pretty well warmed up at the start, I felt really weak trying to make my way towards the front over the first few laps. My guess is that this was part nerves and part just evidence of the amount of work you need to do when the peloton strings out and things get crazy with the peloton going through tight corners. There were several crashes, but I think the biggest was the first. It occurred behind me just after I made my way into the first 20-25 guys. For most of the race I felt good and tried different lines through each corner while not doing un-necessary work.
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At what turns out to be the end of the third to last lap I went to the front and did a half a lap pull that ended with a little flyer past start/finish to wave for the kids. As we came around again I had intentionally drifted at least 20-30 guys back to rest up a bit. To my surprise they called the bell lap with Brian and I totally surrounded on all sides.
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I remember thinking "oops" when I heard Alan call last lap. I started moving right and I think I went really wide into T1 and jumped into the top 10. This was when I saw Jack J (is it J-Smooth?) pulling the entire peloton all strung out. J-Smooth pulled through to the top of the sharp hill then pulled off of exhaustion. Good work Smooth!!!!
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Jack J near the front |
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As we traveled North up Riverside (actually down hill) and into the turn-around I moved up into the top 5. I had found that if I went hard into the turn and carried speed that the climb into the finish wasn’t too bad, so that’s what I did.
The winner and subsequent DQ, went right and started to pull away. I was able to stay seated and grab his wheel. We pulled all the way up the hill from the bottom and I kept expecting the sprint to come and swallow us up, but it never came.
It was a long seated pull up to the tomb steps and then a standing sprint for the next several hundred yards. |
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Brian pulling through turns |
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Kimani from SA.net came around me from the left and the three of us slogged it out. By the time we finished I had no idea where the line was and had trouble seeing straight, so I think (and the tape HERE tells) that Kimani threw his bike, but I clearly did not have the awareness of position to do so.
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Abraham getting an edge |
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Thanks for all the support pre, during, and post race. I'm am glad that everyone came out relatively unscathed. We definitely had a great TEAM out there today with lots of support.
Towards the end it was comforting to have Jack J, Brian and Abraham moving around the peloton and I swore I heard Jeff telling me to "Stay the course" even after he got knocked out by getting hit but not crashing.
Jim.
Jeff: I was involved in 2 separate incidents in which someone bumped me.
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Jeff in the power seat |
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The first time probably was the big crash that Jim referred to above, but luckily I was hit both times on my thunder thighs and was able to hold my line. In one of those incidents, a bike, a hand, someone's face (?) hit my rear brake calipers and permanently put the brakes on. I started to feel like I was very weak and tired and wondered why I was having such a crappy day. The whole field started to pull away and I decided to cut my losses and chalk this one up to one awful day for my body.
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However, as I got off the race course I realized that my bike seemed to be dragging and as I inspected closer, my rear wheel no longer turned. All is fixed now, but I was extremely pissed off for not being there at the finish, I wish I could have helped Jim and Abe because I'm sure I would have been up there at the end. No fear, there will be next time! Congratulations to TOA, it was a great weekend.
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(ed: Brian followed this race by another back-to-back race today!)
Brian: Ok, on couch now ....bit nuked....
That was good fun today. I'm pissed at myself for placing so poorly. I felt good but was too hesitant on the final run in.
The main group pulled away and I was caught in the wind. I passed a lot of guys but I should have raced smarter...better placement is key. I should have made a run to the front after the last tight corner and leaned into the turn. BAH!
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Mitch: Congrats to Jim and Abe!!! I think we were the only team to have two riders place in the top ten!
Also kudos to Brian The Hammer and Jack J., Jeff and Jack. Also, big thanks to Jonathan and Toby and Davey and David R. and Ari and Jim's brood.
This was a wonderful day and as the season moves on we're going to completely dominate the field.
Jack: It was very exciting to see Jim and Abraham come through in the front. Additional pictures from the race below.
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The Mitch pushing hard looking hot |
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David at the start of his race |
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Jack J after first race and Brian contemplating the next race |
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David ready |
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Ari came to support |
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David set |
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Mitch and Jeff after the race |
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David go |
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Brian still in the game the 2nd time |
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David gone home |
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Mitch at the steps to Grant's Tomb |
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