So, it’s been a while but I figure I ought to drop back in on the interweb and say a hello and talk about the Harlem Crit which happened just this past weekend on Father’s day.
The first race I did was the CAT 4 race (this is my race report):
So going into the race, Gui (on Kissena) and I had been discussing tactics from a
couple nights back figuring out the best way to benefit each other’s
strengths and the possible outcomes along with all the twists and
turns the race would most likely hold for us. At first Gui, was all
about a breakaway, I absolutely wasn’t. But I also didn’t know it
would be wet on the course the next day, I was counting on it being
dry. I figured the race was too short and guys would be fresh enough
to reel any attack in (before you laugh, think about it.) The race
was real short, 30 min. short = nothing.
Guys definitely had enough in them to come back, but they didn’t.
There seemed to be too much fuss in the field, from what I heard, and
no one wanted to work. Great for me and Jaime. By the end of our
discussions on the matter, which kept on till the very beginning of
the race start, we both agreed that we’d keep the pace real high so as
to drop the weaker riders and keep the race safe for the strong guys
and the ones truly in contention. We talked to the guys who we knew
were our main contenders: Eddie Zimmerman (United), and the BVF guys
(Matteuchi and Lombardi). Everyone seemed to agree on the strategy.
On the very first lap around the first turn, the pace was real slow
though. I was not about to ride a slow race, not in harlem, not
around this course even if it was wet. I punched it up right around
the 2nd turn. No one seemed to wanna respond, so I kept on. To tell
you all the strait and honest truth, I was not trying to break away,
not at all! What I was trying to do was motivate the field and keep
the pace up. Also I really didn’t start going hard till Jaime from
Merryl Lynch came around me and said “it’s time to work.” Once he
said that though, I knew that we’d be in for a long breakaway, or a
real long lead to the bunch sprint in which we’d just be swallowed up
and spit out the back.
The first couple laps the field kept us in sight. They could see us
around every turn, so I figured they weren’t that concerned with our
positioning, but I definitely was. I piled it on every time I had a
chance. Every time we went around, the crowd kept on shouting numbers
at us: 17sec, 20, 25, etc. For a while our gap seemed to stay just
about the same- 17sec for the first couple laps. I kept looking back
to make sure they weren’t coming back to us. The arrangement that
Jaime and I made was that I’d take the first and second turns and he’d
take the 3rd and 4th. This worked out perfect for both of us.
(on a side note, what was pretty funny about the arrangement we made
was the fact that it looked like to most all the people around the
start/finish line that I was doing ALL the work- I didn’t even realize
it till my sister and g/f told me that they were yelling at Jaime “to
do some work and stop sitting on my wheel!!” I was actually kind of
shocked.) Both of us worked equally hard, and we worked well
together. I even gave him some prize money cause I appreciated his
effort.
After about the 6th to 7th lap in, I stopped seeing the field on us
around every turn. This made me real happy, especially because I
started feeling the burn and wanted the race to be over with. On we
went, round and round. I think I started getting dizzy after a while,
I could only imagine what the pros must have gone through in their
race (serious vertigo, fo’ real!). Anyways, around the 11th or 12th
lap we started to see the back of the field. I don’t know about
Jaime, but this sure motivated me a hell of a lot. I saw a break
coming up for us and I was so ready to take one. On the 12th lap
around the 3rd turn we had caught them and we sat in for a couple
turns, for a short breather. Jaime wasn’t sure if we could, but I had
talked to Eric a couple weeks ago about this very occurrence and felt
good knowing that we could just chill for a second with the lapped
field.
As we joined the group, I noticed that David Correia (WS United) was
with this group and he saw me too, or maybe “us”. I dunno, but he put
in an acceleration which I much appreciated. I’ve known David for a
while now, but since I stopped racing at the track a couple years ago
we hadn’t talked in a long while. He gave me the push I needed to
keep the race going.
David brought us strait to the last lap. God was I glad to be so
close to being done, but I had to focus. Watching my competitor Jaime
around the last laps, I noticed that his pace definitely decreased.
There were a couple moments when I thought “should I just keep going
without him?” But I didn’t, his pace was high enough, at least for
most of the race. I took the 1st and 2nd turns, and Jaime continued
on with his tempo duty for up to the 3rd turn. He then turned back
and checked me out. Little did he know that I had just taken one of
those freakin’ awesome ENERVIT cheerpacks and I started to feel my
legs again. He just tucked back in as I faked being in pain. As we
went around the last strait before the finish it was so strange,
because at the moment in time I pretty much knew that the race was
mine. It’s a really weird feeling, I’m sure some of you know. You
know a couple of my coaches and mentors over the years had always told
me that the hardest part of racing is getting to the finish and being
in good position. They were damn right, Jaime and I worked our asses
off and it actually paid off.
Around the last turn we went and I was still on Jaime’s wheel. From
the turn, the straitaway was approximately 325m to the finish. Way
too long for me, and way too long for Jaime. I noticed right away
that Jaime really didn’t know what he was doing, he definitely isn’t a
sprinter. He was in way too high of a gear and really wasn’t
concerned with the fact that I had been drafting him for the past
quarter of a mile. I came beside him and just waited for him to go.
At around 275m he started to go, he started way too early. I wasn’t
in my sprinting gear yet, but I reacted quickly and clicked into a
hard enough gear. I got up to speed, and then went at it from 200m to
go. He gave me a fight in order to win, but by the last 100m he was
spent. My experience in past races and races on the track definitely
paid off. I knew how to time my sprint and knew what to watch for in
my competitor.
For the race, my Dad, sister, and girlfriend showed up. I really
appreciated their presence and all their yelling and screaming around
the first turn. Especially my sister’s, I’d never heard her scream
like that! Fun stuff, they really motivated me. The rest of the
crowd was great as well, always cheering us on and keeping us informed
of our progress. I was so glad that my family and g/f were at the
race for my first win. It really was wonderful. At the end of it all
I felt like I was in shock because I really hadn’t recognized the full
extent of the circumstances I was in. All I knew was that I won and
had stayed away from the field for the entirety of the race, I was
pretty exhausted.
The rest of the day was so spectacular as well. The 3 race was
incredible, Philly Cadence doin’ a flyer from the 2nd to last lap and
ending up winning! Crazy! and the end of the Pro Race was even more
spectacular!!
dec. 22nd 1242pm bryant park
