Tired of overheating training indoors?

First CP open of the season is up on BikeReg, Feb 8th. Who wants to join me in the 4/5/Novice?

Great opportunity to see how the off season training has gone!

https://www.bikereg.com/cp

Will most likely join you, but early season races are rough all around. Also reminder, super bowl ride is the day after! 

I’m 50/50 myself. Super keen, but the brutal cold does not do me well. It would be nice to start getting some racing efforts in February, and usually fomo wins out. Will keep an eye on it as Jan goes and we move apts. 

I am tempted but may also be a bit early season for me

Decided against this one, probably will do PP classic to kick off the season, good luck Kevin!

@MaxBucksbaum  don't feel bad about it.  
The season is long and no reason to halt achilles healing.

@mugwump
no achilles injury for me, just feeling soft and don't want to race in the cold lol!

Pre Race Report

• Thought I'd timed this to perfection with a 5:30am wake up, coffee, register and warm up lap for a 6:46am start time.
• Unfortunately not enough marshals so we had to wait an hour before we could start, everyone cooled down and did there best to keep warm
• Laps cut from 5 to 4 (one lap less for all other categories)
• No Harlem Hill due to the work that's been going on there for the last 50 years

Race Report

• Plan was to stay up in the top 10/15, no real climbs to worry about 
• Pedal Power had their usual numbers but weren't identifiable as they don't have their sponsors on their winter jerseys - no tactics employed by them
• This didn't feel too fast a race but there were surges every lap on the Engineers Gate stretch and just after the shortcut back onto the loop (this was essentially a crit corner)
• Lap 3 on the Engineers Gate stretch there was a mini break of 4 or 5 people i worked to help pull back. Nothing huge only 5-10s.
• Took it easy after this.
• Made sure i had some good positioning on the Cat Hill climb approach, in around 5th/6th
• Big crash behind me on the left, heard the crunch of carbon and some whelps.*
• Held back a little bit longer before I set off for the sprint
• 4 guys go past me in a line on the right
• I'm neck & neck with a guy on my right heading towards the line
• He fades just before and I get 5th
• I was 573W Av going up the hill with a max of 745W which is below peak but I guess it's first race of the year. 

* After the finish I saw one guy being stretchered to the ambulance with a neck brace on (>_<)

Post Race Report

• 5th place got me a photo with the podium (it's the closest I've been!)
• $50 R&R voucher (ka-ching)
• Headed home and tried to warm up
• No way I would have made it to the bridge until 10am so apologies to the Centurions!

Photo below (the guy on my left got 4th)

great job!!

Hell yea!  That's a great start to the season!

Hey now awesome job and congratulations! Love that you used your head and planned out your moves in advance - preparation and tactics counts for so much.

The race being delayed by an hour is seems like peak Alex.  

Awesome job Kevin!