LAPT Criterium Race Report

From Darin;

This was the race that I was not looking forward to when I first looked at our calendar, it was right in the middle of an eight day work week for me, and that’s twelve hour shifts for eight straight NIGHTS, 7p.m. to 7a.m.! This was also our team race (LAPT), so not only did I have to be there to help but I also had to race. After getting out of work at 7 a.m., I went home to take a shower and try to get my hour and a half of sleep (which ended up really being forty five minutes) and then go off to MadTown (Madison - “Best Bicycling Town in the U.S.”, I don’t see it but that’s what they say). Barry “The Boss” picked me up at 9:15 and we headed out for our 1:00 race.

One hour before the start of our race I chugged down an entire pot of coffee that I had brought in a Thermos, nothing like hot coffee on a 90 degree day. After warming up and getting to the start line we had a pretty good field, just over 40 guys. We ran the race the opposite way than we did the first two times this year; with the strong winds this meant an uphill finish into the wind. I felt very good the whole race staying in the front third of the pack. Barry stayed up in about fifth for most of the race. There were a couple of attempts at a break away but with the wind and heat they just self destructed without any extra effort from the pack. Someone took off with a lap to go only to get caught before the line. The pack picked up the pace with two to go and coming down into the last turn we must have been fifteen wide. My plan was to stick to Barry’s wheel for the last few laps and hope to stay with him for his usual top three finish. So I was right on his wheel going through the last turn, getting blasted from the sweat coming off his head (this is very normal following The Boss, you just get use to it). We headed up the hill in about twentieth place, I was wondering why Barry choose to be so far back for the sprint and just then he kicked in the afterburners and was gone leaving me behind. Barry finished third overall, first in age. I could not gain any more speed and just held my twentieth place to the line, but luckily there was a lot of 30-something guys in front of me and I got seventh place points in my age category. I really need to work on my sprint, I’m doing more research for training. I think I'll try to mash too big of a gear instead of working on leg speed in a smaller gear. I felt really good the entire race, it felt like we averaged 19 m.p.h. when really we did 23.6.

From The Boss;

It was hot.
It was windy.
The wind kept anyone who tried from staying away.
I stayed up front.
Someone took off on the 4th corner right before the bell lap and held on to it until about 20 yards from the finish line, then got passed like a grandma on the way to church on Sunday.
Got jammed a little in the last corner.
Sprinted like a madman.
Got 3rd. Tony won. Some young guy from Endeavor got second...almost had him.

Official Results;

Barry 1st in Category 3rd Overall
Darin 7th in Category 20th Overall