^cannot.stop.watching.

The comment is so true "I've never laughed so hard at another person's misfortune until just this moment."

The big scare is turn one.  What causes problems is that 5th ave has a slight bank to it and if you cross over the middle of 120th, you're riding over the crown, and suddenly you go from feeling a slight bank to feeling off-camber.  

@Brendan - I'll be there watching and reminding you to stay out of the wind.. haha

Okay, I'm going to move this thread towards strategy discussions now. I'll be talking about the Pro 1/2 race, and keeping it public between Ragot, Partland and I because there might be some learning opportunities here.

I don't care that the "pro" teams are nowhere to be found, our field is STACKED the semi-pro hammers that will ensure an exciting day.

It's a tight, short course, and I think that despite the relative lack of technicality, a breakaway is still very possible. ESPECIALLY, if you get in a move with Foundation, Van Dessel, Champ-Sys and Bike Reg.

The three of us will get a good idea of how we're doing tomorrow at the L&C cup, but I expect at a minimum that Ragot, if he's kept up late at night, will come up to me during the race tell me how "crappy" he feels and proceed to rock and roll all over that shit. JP is as solid as they come and won't have any trouble being in the mix. Me, well, I'm a "Question Marc" (get it?) at best. But whatever, I won't do any stupid shit during the race at least.

The big thing here is I don't want to hear JP or Ragot complaining about how they didn't have the legs to go with the big move...because they did some stupid off the front solo-shit 2 laps earlier. We have to really count on the big teams to race like teams and play off their guys.

IT'S not our responsibility to keep the pace high, to jump off the front in attempts to draw out the breakaway riders. It is our responsibility to be there with the legs to bridge up and/or go with the moves fired off by the big teams.

If it's coming down to a sprint, because of the course dynamics, it's pretty much a sprint to the corner of turn 3. That shit is downright scary at full-on last-lap speeds, and if you aren't in the front, you might as well sit up.

@phillip: i doubt i'll ever be in the wind now because the riders will be stronger 

such a shame, you're hair won't be able to flow freely and mesmerize the crowds at the race...you'll just have to hang on for dear life instead.

if you're lucky I'll throw you a drumstick on turn number 3 if you promise to stick to the inside: crashes usually happen on the outside of that turn as it bottlenecks and riders lose their line under fatigue and lack of focus.

is there a map of this thing anywhere?  other crits have posted maps from previous years

I'm not sure if that was a joke or literal truth.

http://www.harlemcriterium.com/
http://goo.gl/maps/x1rTq

It's the road around Marcus Garvey Park. Counter clockwise, so all left turns.

I like left turns. 

Me too ;-)

It's the right hand ones I can't do...

Any 4s riding over from bk tomorrow? 

Wes, I may or may not be able to go tomorrow.  What time you thinking of leaving bk?

@david - I might head up around 10 or 1030

i'll be riding up from brooklyn, haven't decided what time yet

Daughter's team won today (woot), so I got the final championship game at 11am. No 4 race for me but possibly 40+ depending on other family plans. Good luck everyone. 

@Wes and Brendan, Keep me updated.

Jeff Condon said:

Daughter's team won today (woot), so I got the final championship game at 11am. No 4 race for me but possibly 40+ depending on other family plans. Good luck everyone. 

2 podiums in one day? Good day for the the Condon family, eh?

If anyone is there early volunteering or watching the first one or two races, Alice and I will be around from 9am to probably 1 or 2pm. See you out there!

Are you ready? Harlem is...

I'm aiming to be on the road at 10

I can try to make that.  Which bridge meetup?  Brendan, you coming?

i won't make 10:00. i can do 10:30 or 11

Slacker.

@David /@Brendan - I'm in for 1030, just let me know where you want to meet.

10:30 BB brooklyn side?