Who will be joining me at Floyd tomorrow?  

It's an out-and-back course on the long runway.  1/2/3 starts at 8:30.  30 one-mile laps.  

I dropped to ninth overall, but there will probably be light turnout and can hopefully grind out a breakaway.  

start times

If I don't hear from you, I'll probably take the "fast" route, st. nicholas to 110 to 5th to broadway to the Manhattan Bridge.

The course was an out-and-back on the longest runway, 1.15mi in length.  The first turn was nice and dirty, and as you came out of it, you had to ride through a pile of gravel.  So, you either tried to turn hard on the dirt, brake hard and go inside the gravel, or you turned a bit easier, and rode through the gravel.  As an added bonus, you turned into a strong headwind that was directly in your face as you started to exit the turn, feeling like you were suddenly stalling.  once turned, you had a wind from the right.  If AVD had just moved the cones another 100m down the road, we would have had an easy turn on asphalt.  Or someone could have swept.  The other side was much easier, only we turned into a cross-tail wind.  

And, in what seemed to be a new low for AVD races, the 8:30am start of the 1/2/3 race was after 10am.  The first race must have started late, as it finished around 8:20.  Vlad and I, along with Stephan Hoffman went to the hangar to hang out.  Vlad had coffee, I had a banana, Stephan an egg bagel.  

The race was going to be a slugfest.  Either wait for Stephan to attack or attack to pre-empt him.  Repeat until a group forms.  After a middling first lap, Eugene went for it.  I went after him and Stalin after me.  We had a three man group going for a few laps.  Stephan pulled us back, with some others on his wheel. Euge went again.  We got him.  Another few moves, I roll off.  I ride tempo into the headwind and eventually Euge comes up and gets by.  Then Stalin.  Next I have Stephan and Zach Koop with me.  We're taking turns, but they're looking around and complaining.  Next thing I know, they jump me.  I should have complained and sat on them.  Alas.

I ride solo, and am caught by two E2 Value teammates with Scott Savory (stephan's teammate) on my wheel.  Three of us are taking turns, but the four up front aren't getting away.  This goes on for five laps,and then the break starts to pull away.  I figure so long as we can keep this up, we'll sprint for fourth.  Only the two guys are riding unevenly, pulling off on the wrong side, almost attacking each other.  I don't say anything, hoping I can capitalize on this.  I should have told it was time for him to start working to earn his fourth place.  Then I realize I'm thinking about Stephan's sandwich.  Trouble.

We get caught by a chase group of three.  It had been four, but Juan Pineda of Toga crashed out, breaking his collarbone.  The officials move the cones around him as we raced by every lap.  I figure with Scott of Lupus and Franklin of Jordan, they'd have some reason to ride.  Only they let the two e2 guys go.  Eventually we caught Vlad.

Then we're caught by the break.  Which contains a rider whom they lapped.  Scott sets the pace and only leaves room for Stephan before the cones.  I'm sitting fifth wheel, and the guy in front is clipping the cones of me on the wrong side, so fourth wheel on are all technically off the course.  I run one over straight on.  As I'm feeling lightheaded and weak, and this is wrong to begin with, so even if we're not all DQ'ed (a long shot for a local race), I don't want to end up like Pineda. I ask Vlad just to set the pace for me on the proper side of the cones.  After doing this for a lap, I fall apart.  

BTW, the e2 guys, who have fifth and sixth wrapped up attack each other for the finish and each rides in solo.  Go figure.

Vlad asked me afterwards if he should have dropped back to help out sooner.  I didn't have a good answer.  Checking the criterium rules, he probably shouldn't have been allowed to do that.  But I don't think anyone would have protested and the officials probably wouldn't ahve noticed.  

It's been a long time since I bonked like that in a race.  Don't think the sandwich would hve been right.  Perhaps a candy bar or a buttered bagel could have been enough.  And while I thought of putting a gel in my pocket, I chose against it.

And it was a hard race.  Starting with the second lap, the next ten minutes I churned out a normalized power of 4.85 w/kg, and my first half-hour of the race was at 4.4 w/kg.  I guess I shouldn't be surprised that going hard on a near-empty tank leads to a serious bonk.

3D3. The following are alternative methods for handling lapped riders or riders out of contention in criteriums. The method chosen by the Race Director with the Chief Referee must be clearly explained to the riders prior to the start of the race.(a) Ariderwhofallssofarbehindastobeconsideredoutof contention may be removed from the race by the officials and may be placed according to the distance covered and placing amongst those pulled that lap.

(b) Alternatively,lappedridersmaybepermittedtoremain in the race and all will finish on the same lap as the leaders. At the finish, these riders will be placed according to the number of the laps they are down and then their position in the finish.

3D4. Riders who have lost contact with the field, and are then caught by a breakaway from the field, may not lead. Riders off the front of the field may not accept assistance from riders who have lost contact with the back of the field. Lapped riders may rejoin and race with the field in cases where lapped riders are not being withdrawn by the officials.

Hey all,

I'm in for this Sunday in Prospect. 

Right now, it seems we have: Andy DS, Bertucco, Perberg, Ragot, me.

Good group.  I assume Vlad will join in.

Any others?