Lindenwood Collegiate Criterium was a very warm welcome back to competitive cycling for 2010. The race itself was a 1 kilo flat loop with a section of smooth cobblestones and a couple semi-technical turns. The only thing to slow it down was a headwind along the river.
Race Review: I sat in the first 20 minutes, then found myself a couple seconds off the front with another group of 2 riders some 20 seconds up the road. I hit it. it took me a lap and a half to bridge the gap and when i did, i blew up. In retrospect, the move was too early, too reckless, and had my breakway companions attacked me given up the effort, my race would have likely been over.
Sunday though, it worked. My breakaway companions (Nick from Marian and a guy from Indiana whose name i never caught) let me sit on for couple laps and after we began smooth paceline rotations and were able to make significant time on the peloton with the Marian team chasing anything and everything off the front of it.
I was really committed to the breakaway. I had not anticipated a podium finish and when one was potentially in sight, i wanted to make it work. In hindsight, i really didn't have the mentality to win. I was content the minute i was guaranteed a second place finish. Potentially, i could have won the race - although i doubted my legs, i think i was stronger than Nick, my final breakaway companion. i think it was a case of me being primarily competitive with myself, meeting/exceeding my own expectations, then failing to get competitive with other B collegiate racers.
Today i want to win. its probably less feasible, but i want the top spot.
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