Westlake 04/29/08

Fun, but cold race. Cant say it was beautiful weather thats for sure. Dark skies, a headwind down the finish straight and the occasional drip, drop of rain. It may have been in the 50's, but it felt like low 40's to me. We all had on about all the clothes we owned.

Although the pace wasnt as unrelentingly fast as my first Westlake I thought when it got fast, it got real fast. Everytime I would get off in a multi-lap break (the first with Tom Humphrey, Ricardi, Sroka and Bob Martin) and came back it seemed the already smaller field was a few guys less. Breaks and chases to catch breaks often does that and especially on cold and windy days!!

We even went so slow at one point we had to simulate an attack (spurred on by Batke) to get away from the B groups breakaway which had passed us back. And get this, the break was comprised of mostly ladies!! You GO GIRL!!! Heck yeah!!

I decided to try for some primes for the first time and I got one for 2 points. Then later they called for a $ prime, and thinking they were $20 or something I rode off the front inbetween the last corners and drilled it into the headwind. I saw a wheel, looked back and it was only one rider. Maybe I am wrong, you tell me, but I felt committed to keep charging to the line. If I backed off to try and force Matt Weeks in front I would lose momentum and since I had been going so hard for 500M or more I wouldnt be able to accelerate again anyways. So I took my chances and when Matt started his sprint I sprinted too, but he got it by a half wheel. But it turns out it was for $2!! lol No loss there except pride.

But the prime lead to a 2.5 lap break for Matt and I with about 7 to go. I knew going into it that it was a long shot without Inferno, PM or RGF, but were both good time trialists and had just done presque isle so who knows!! When youve got a big gap off of a prime like we had-might as well try. We maintained a good gap I think. But RGF did pull us back eventually and they said Bob Martin took over from two teammates, pulled a whole straightaway to close the deal. I dont know Bob personally, but it seems hes racing well this year.

But that was okay because I had Brian (Torelli) and Weeks had Rudy (Team Lake Effect)patiently waiting and resting (??) in the field. Rudy countered and brought out Batke, PM, RGF (Martin?) and that was the winning break!! Moments later Chernosky and Weeks went to bridge, but Matt knew better than to tow Dave to the break with Rudy in it. Should I have gone with them? Maybe, maybe not. If I had, I wouldnt have been able to do anything except be in a position for 5th, but me against Weeks and Chernosky in a sprint? Whaaa, haaa, haaaa,ohhhh, funny one. No way was i going to pull Dave to the break too. Thats a contract termination thing right there.

So what was left of the field sat on there thumbs for awhile untill Tom Keller and Chris Billowich of Snake Bite who didnt have representation up the road went to the front and tried to pull us back to the pair dangling in no mans land. Diffenbacher and I sat 3rd and 4th wheel as dutiful teammates. Ahhhhhh...it was so easy now. On the bell lap we caught the B race again and into the headwind i decided to try and catch the two for fun. I knew at this point Batke was safe in the front group.

I basically pulled the whole lap as hard as I could, but could not catch Dave and Matt and I rolled across the line pulling about 8 or so guys (looked like a lot of TLE, SBR and one RGF) for a 7th. Maybe 50% attrition tonight? I knew even if I caught them I would be so spent I wouldnt be able to sprint, but it was more about the training. Just going for it to see if it could be done. Well, it couldnt, not for me anyways. No one came around to help so I can say that either I was pulling too hard or more likely no one else cared to catch them and/or go against Dave for 5th.

Torelli got 4th and 7th. Not too shabby, except ony one of them counts for anything. I did my thing by attacking and going in breaks to springboard a rested Batke into a winning break and it worked. That alone made for a fun and successful night.

Now to decide between RATL, Bull Run (OVR) or Cone-Azalia (Michigan) this weekend. I can only do one!! I need USA cycling points bad so hopefulyl whatever race I hit I do well in it.

Ray