Post USPro Crit Report (updated)
A Wet and Fast National Championship
After doing the Pro-Am race the day before that also had rain and chilly weather, I put all the negative thoughts around me in the trash. I made sure that every thought about racing the Crit championships in the rain wasn’t necessarily a bad thing and so I focused, I meditated and I did everything in my power to have a successful race. I knew my legs would be good, but all I needed was some good fortune.
…I even road a trainer for 20 minutes to make sure everything would go perfect. And those who know me know that I never use a trainer to warm up, but I did this time.
Anyways, I got a call up and a TV interview, so other than Rock, and myself someone else thought I should win.
Boom… the gun is off and now we are underway for 100k of pain in the rain.
The first few laps were pretty fast, I remember how the day before my legs had loaded up after only a few laps, but Sunday was different, the legs felt as if I was on a training ride.
The whole day I stayed in the top 25 guys, every time I felt myself being further than that I would sprint back to the front. I did this all race long. At about the half waypoint in the race I’m so focused I feel that no one can beat me but me. I here people talking ***, but it went in one ear and out the other. I was determined.
Lap after lap I witnessed people sliding out and crashing. It appeared that this was happening at every corner.
I managed to stay safe the entire race, however with 15 to go Ooe guy in front of me started to slide out in the fastest corner of the race and I had no where to go as I was riding on his right hip. I did the best I could to avoid the crash but went head over hills head first into a tree. I kid you not, as I was flying toward the tree, I thought about the late Nichole Rinehart who was tragically killed in a bike race when she crashed into a tree. When that thought went through my head, I quickly turned my back toward the tree so I wouldn’t hit the tree head on. I hit so hard I thought I broke my back. I lay there for 30-40 seconds without moving. My race was done. Until I heard the Cops yelling…”we need a paramedic, we got a guy who hit a tree”. When I heard that, I rolled over, ask for a hand to get up (in pain) and grabbed my bike. At this point my shoulder was in so much pain that I could barely grab the bars. But I was so determined to give it everything. My bike was in pieces too and I had to run from the far side of the course to the pit.
The crash had caused a split in the field and it had some really good guys in it that split. When they passed the pit, I didn’t feel to comfortable with that group, however they did come back a few laps later.
After fighting to get my position back I crashed again after being caught at the wrong place. Now its 7 laps to go and I crash yet again. 4 laps to go, I get caught behind a crash but didn’t go down. Turing the last corner on the last lap, I crashed again as someone ran right into Karl Menzies after he pulled off from delivering his teammate to the win.
I really wanted to win the UsPro Crit. I had all the winning ingredients but I was missing just a little good luck. I was really proud of the way I road and took the day as a professional.
Flying home I new I needed to see a doctor because I was in a lot of pain. I have a separated shoulder and it hurts. Not sure how long it will take to hill, but I will ride my bike this morning.
Next on the list is getting ready for Track nationals, but before that we have the race in Las Vegas, which I head is scheduled to be inside a casino.