Who says you can't go home again?

How you doing kids? The weekend is almost here. Awesome!

Guess what Thursday was the start of? Everybody's favorite business park criterium race. Thats right the Great Valley Criterium race started this week, and there was a decent showing of the regular participants especially for the middle of March.

How did the race go down for this fat man? Well, as usual I get in my 1 lap warm up, because somehow I always get there late. We gather. Some dood shouts instructions . . . "stay on the right" . . . blah blah blah . . . "be courteous to drivers" . . . . blah blah blah . . . ."don't get buck naked in the parking lot". . blah blah blah . . "complaints about peeing in the woods" . . . blah blah blah. And we are off!!!

The pace of the first two laps were moderate, but the third lap is supposed to be the sprint. It was, and by the end of the 4th lap, I am off the back. Doh!!! The penalty for not warming up at all.

I do a lap, and use the small hill in the loop to catch back on. This time I catch on for 5 laps before I'm out the back again. (wash rinse repeat) I do a few laps by myself and then I notice that the group as split in two. Sweetness.

I hop on the "B" group. I have no trouble hanging in this pack. I'm sucking wheel and just have a good ol time for a while. Somehow from following the wheel in front of me, I end up at the front of the "B" group about 10 seconds before the "A" group catches us. I was screwed. The entire "B" group hops on their draft. I didn't react soon enough and I was spent. I'm off the back again. I soft pedal for a few laps and call it a day. I'm race ready for Saturday!!!

So what else did I notice . . . .

1) Did Team Environmental Alliance go semi-pro, cause if they did then Team Iron Hill Brewery sucked up their masters riders. Basically Team Iron Hill Brewery (which also picked up a nice Comcast sponsorship) rode in the front and threw down the entire time. Actually there was an Iron Hill rider on his time trial bike "motor pacing" the entire field in the front!!!

2) I wasn't the worst squirell out there. I used to brake through the turns. (For those that don't know . . . there really aren't any turns. It is as close to an oval as a crit can get.) Maybe all that time on the rollers actually improved my handling and of course a season of cyclo-cross!

3) I missed Rennie and Matties. It just ain't the same when I don't have my friends there to laugh at me.

4) Looking forward to next Thursday all ready. Boohay!!!