Don't die wondering

McDonald's Classic Criterium Wagga Wagga NSW, 13 June 2010

I really like the crit circuit around Wagga CBD. A little bit technical, a little bit undulating and if you can get away the potential to not be seen around some of the corners!

After the handicap the day before, there seemed to be a few tired legs around the place. The race was set to be 30 minutes plus 3 laps, with intermediate sprints at 10 and 20 minutes. After the first 5 minutes I decided that I wouldn't contest the intermediate sprints and would save myself for the final sprint.

The race was without incident, although with such disparity in the skills and speed of the mixed bunch it was imperative to keep alert. On the whole, it was a pretty easy crit as far as they go. I made the mistake of not setting the clock on my computer so I wasn't sure how long we had been going/how long to go, so was hesitant to try and get away for a solo win or at least a solid attack to mix things up. In the end I waited patiently in the bunch for the final lap.

Unfortunately I forgot to pack my sprinter reflexes and when the guys next to me started to organise their 2 man train I didn't react. In fact I waited much too long to launch my sprint, despite being in excellent position in the final corners, and in the end I ran out of course before I made my way up the podium places :( In the end I finished 6th- off the podium and out of the prizemoney!

So many what if type questions... Next time I will remember to pack the sprinter and then I won't die wondering!

Handicap by name... Handicap by nature?

McDonald's Classic- 83km Handicap
Wagga Wagga NSW, 12 June 2010

Again reminded why I really dislike handicaps! They are an absolute gamble- a result very much depends on the rest of the people in the bunch and the days that you are good won't necessarily be reflected at the end of the day.

The McDonald's Classic Handicap was one of those days that could have been so much more. Right from the gun the bunch was a shambles. Everyone was looking at each other as if it was the final 5km and waiting for someone else to make a move. For neither love nor money would a paceline get organised. And the men certainly didn't want to listen to the lone female in the bunch! Needless to say, the bunch blew itself apart within the first 10km!!

That left 73km to go... in the wash up after the hill that killed my bunch, I was in the second group with, I think, 3 further ahead. We chased hard and I think in the end we got back together. It is hard to tell, I found out later that the bunch ahead of us also disintegrated in about the same place as mine. The chase went on until we were caught at about the 35km mark. Making the most of the increased bunch size I took the opportunity to feed, but then we turned into the cross wind... cue a number of us getting flicked off the back of the bunch.

And so it went on. Chasing in small bunches, chasing solo, and ending in a small bunch. The biggest frustration of the day was that I felt awesome on the bike. I went over the "hills" like they were flat and was generally having a good day, I just didn't have anyone sharing that with me. I think that is probably the biggest handicap of these races...