Rock Lititz
Rock Lititz was a great experience for the team - I think it showed us what our potential is as well as where our weaknesses are. This is a race I would have gotten pulled from last year but this year I was able to move up and back as needed to, um, clear the lungs without sliming the pack.
It's a four corner crit and they cut us down from 25 laps to 22 to make up some time in the schedule. All told it was around 18 miles/45 minutes. Garmin says I averaged around 320W which feels about right. Average speed was 24.5 mph - decently fast course. It's just four corners, so getting away would take a coordinated effort but we had decided beforehand to be reactionary until the last five laps and no one else seemed to want to make a go of it.
The place to attack was definitely the slight rise between the third and fourth corners. You could slip out of the pack for the first half of the lap then overtake everyone on the rise with a little bit of extra effort. I had plans to execute based on that experience but it was not to be...
Coming out of turn three on the penultimate lap, I came out of hiding to test my theory and found that it was easy to put into practice even at 3/4 effort. I set myself up coming into the third turn last lap and whoopsie - found myself pushed into the curb by an undercutter and struggling to stay upright. Poop occurs. I managed to stay upright but by the time I recovered I was in no position to make it back into contention so I settled for finishing intact. If I had it to do over again, I would have put everything I had into that second to last lap attack to get a clear line and chased ghosts to take the race.
All the CS Velo guys represented the heart and ethos of the team and were a pleasure to race with and hang out with in general. Could we have put in a more concerted effort? Sure. Woulda, coulda, shoulda. Even though it wasn't the "result" I was hoping for, on the balance it was time and effort I wouldn't have spent any other way. Big hand, guys!
I'll let the other guys tell their stories, but I will say that I hear from Sean that they managed to reel Rob W. back into the pack eventually and Sean ended up in the money! Great job!!
-ADM
