Corporate Crit. #2 Pro/1/2/3
Posted on Sunday, April 15, 2007
Race: Pro/1/2/3
Team: Randy B. & Sergei B.
Results: Sergei (5th)
The second edition of the Corporate Criterium in Santa Rosa was held under windy and near-rain conditions. For the BPG, the main competition came from 4 Cal Giant Strawberries and Daniel Holloway of the VMG team. Being outnumbered by the strawberries, I thought that it's better to act than react, and opened up a quarter lap gap by attacking on lap 2 of the 90 minute crit. One rider was bridging, and it looked like a strawberry from afar, so I decided to wait. It turned out to be a rider from Squadra, JD Bergman, and I immediately sat up knowing that this move was doomed. As soon as the pack made contact, Strawberry launched a counter off the front. It was again up to me to close the gap, because it started growing. Once I caught the break and towed the rest of the pack to this move, Devon Vigus, again of strawberry countered, taking his teammate, Keith Miller with him, along with 5 other riders including Tim Granshaw of Morgan Stanley and Daniel Holloway. This was the move of the race.
After 2 strong efforts already in the bag, I could've made a 3rd to close the gap, but that would just set up another Strawberry attack. Instead, the break got a 20sec gap right away. While I was recovering, Randy made his way to the front of the pack and decided to bridge, taking 1 other rider with him. This was a strong do-or-die move by him, and they got within 10 seconds of the break but just couldn't quite close it.
Once the gap grew out to 40s with 1hr still left in the race, I started rotating on the front. I realized that one of the Strawberries still in the field, was none other but Mr. Patrick Briggs himself, making his first appearance after a horrible hip injury, and therefore there was more to this race. I heard his Spinergy RevXs swooshing on the opposite side of the pack and immediately did a power shift to my 12 tooth cog. One lap later the pack was nowhere to be seen, and I was in the move with Pat and one of his teammates (not sure what his name was, tall guy with ripped legs).
In the end, Devon Vigus and Tim Granshaw were a lap on everyone else, Pat and myself caught the break and in the process lost one of his teammates, so now there are 7 fighting for 3rd place, with 1st and 2nd secured.
Daniel Holloway attacked immediately after we bridged the gap, but was chased down by Pat. Devon and Tim went off the front again, taking Keith Miller and 2 others with them. I got stuck behind Pat and Daniel fighting and yelling at each other. I wanted to hear what Holloway had to say, but the gap was getting bigger, and I attacked and bridged the 5 riders off the front solo. That took a lot out of me. I pulled through evenly making sure that Daniel doesn't bridge this move, because then my chances for a top 5 finish would be slim. With 8 laps to go, I was hauling ass and taking half lap pulls. Then I really almost brought on the pain by clipping my pedal around a corner. Yeah, real Cat 5 move right there. It was weird, because I pedaled through that turn for the whole race, and it never happened before. I held it up right, but my breakaway companions didn't like that at all, so I apologized and luckily was forgiven.
On the last lap, Tim and Devon led us out. Devon taking the win and Tim taking 2nd. Keith Miller of Strawberry won the sprint and got 3rd in the race, then some guy that never pulled through got 4th, I ended up 5th. Perhaps in the end, it's not a terrific result for BPG, but on an individual level, I'm happy that I can race a 90 minute crit off the front, and you know you're doing something right, when Pat Briggs shakes your hand and tells you after the race, "way to put your back in it, Sergei".
~SB
Team: Randy B. & Sergei B.
Results: Sergei (5th)
The second edition of the Corporate Criterium in Santa Rosa was held under windy and near-rain conditions. For the BPG, the main competition came from 4 Cal Giant Strawberries and Daniel Holloway of the VMG team. Being outnumbered by the strawberries, I thought that it's better to act than react, and opened up a quarter lap gap by attacking on lap 2 of the 90 minute crit. One rider was bridging, and it looked like a strawberry from afar, so I decided to wait. It turned out to be a rider from Squadra, JD Bergman, and I immediately sat up knowing that this move was doomed. As soon as the pack made contact, Strawberry launched a counter off the front. It was again up to me to close the gap, because it started growing. Once I caught the break and towed the rest of the pack to this move, Devon Vigus, again of strawberry countered, taking his teammate, Keith Miller with him, along with 5 other riders including Tim Granshaw of Morgan Stanley and Daniel Holloway. This was the move of the race.
After 2 strong efforts already in the bag, I could've made a 3rd to close the gap, but that would just set up another Strawberry attack. Instead, the break got a 20sec gap right away. While I was recovering, Randy made his way to the front of the pack and decided to bridge, taking 1 other rider with him. This was a strong do-or-die move by him, and they got within 10 seconds of the break but just couldn't quite close it.
Once the gap grew out to 40s with 1hr still left in the race, I started rotating on the front. I realized that one of the Strawberries still in the field, was none other but Mr. Patrick Briggs himself, making his first appearance after a horrible hip injury, and therefore there was more to this race. I heard his Spinergy RevXs swooshing on the opposite side of the pack and immediately did a power shift to my 12 tooth cog. One lap later the pack was nowhere to be seen, and I was in the move with Pat and one of his teammates (not sure what his name was, tall guy with ripped legs).
In the end, Devon Vigus and Tim Granshaw were a lap on everyone else, Pat and myself caught the break and in the process lost one of his teammates, so now there are 7 fighting for 3rd place, with 1st and 2nd secured.
Daniel Holloway attacked immediately after we bridged the gap, but was chased down by Pat. Devon and Tim went off the front again, taking Keith Miller and 2 others with them. I got stuck behind Pat and Daniel fighting and yelling at each other. I wanted to hear what Holloway had to say, but the gap was getting bigger, and I attacked and bridged the 5 riders off the front solo. That took a lot out of me. I pulled through evenly making sure that Daniel doesn't bridge this move, because then my chances for a top 5 finish would be slim. With 8 laps to go, I was hauling ass and taking half lap pulls. Then I really almost brought on the pain by clipping my pedal around a corner. Yeah, real Cat 5 move right there. It was weird, because I pedaled through that turn for the whole race, and it never happened before. I held it up right, but my breakaway companions didn't like that at all, so I apologized and luckily was forgiven.
On the last lap, Tim and Devon led us out. Devon taking the win and Tim taking 2nd. Keith Miller of Strawberry won the sprint and got 3rd in the race, then some guy that never pulled through got 4th, I ended up 5th. Perhaps in the end, it's not a terrific result for BPG, but on an individual level, I'm happy that I can race a 90 minute crit off the front, and you know you're doing something right, when Pat Briggs shakes your hand and tells you after the race, "way to put your back in it, Sergei".
~SB
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< View All Race Reports