It was a great day for racing. John Gray and myself were the only two from the Virginia Beach Wheelmen to race the Cat 3 race. My tactic was to sit near the front and try to go with breaks that I thought would work. Basically I had three guys that I was eying. Jacob Tremblay, Stuart Louder and Elliot Obrien. I figured those three guys always seem to be in winning breaks. Typically by position on the team has been to chase down breaks that our team didn't make. But that was when Jon Nisbet was a Cat 3 and we would try to set him up for the sprint. So my mindset has needed to change a little in the fact that we need to get someone else set up for the win. So instead of chasing everything that went, I just set in and picked my battles.
The first move I went with was a large split that contained Elliot. It was too large to work. I had to bridge up to it on the back side of the course then try to sit in for a lap to recoop. Once I recooped I tried to do my fair share but it was still very disorganized. We were caught and from the counter attacks Elliot and a TNP rider broke away. They stayed out in front of us within site for many laps then suddenly our pace dropped and they were gone. I should have buired myself to get up to them but they truely "snuck away", very good move on their part. So then I focused on trying to with breaks that might stand a chance of catching them, but none succeeded.
I ended up winning a $25 prime sprint by a bike throw. On the final lap I moved into good position on the back side and was even on the wheel of the rider who wan the field sprint. But going through the final corner I didn't have the guts to stay with him and fell back a few positions. I ended up 11th overall.
It seemed like a fast race but a smooth race. My confidence with sprinting is getting better and I don't think it will be long for me to be competing in mass sprints. Its all about the guts of being in position.
Great race and thanks to the promoters and all the racers.
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