Not much to report today.  A sprint stage so not really my bag.  Just made sure to lose no time and stayed in the group to finish 30/61.  Instead, had a crack at the KOM and am second in those standings.  Will see what the situation is with that tomorrow.  There are big hills.

Am @56 seconds in 14th on GC.  A little unclear if the guys ahead of me can climb or are more TT/sprint types.  Guess I will find out tomorrow.

No statistics today guys, sorry.

@mperlberg  Actually, he was racing for another team.  He just hadn't changed it on bikereg.com.  He was strong like a panda though nonetheless.

Next lap at the same point I decided to wait and see his move.  Made my way to the front by the KOM and we started eyeing each other as we drew towards the line.  Got to about 500 m to go and I was content to just wait and get on his wheel and hope to come round.  We were at the front of a stretched out pack with a small group of about 6 people in the mix but I was not really worried about the others.  At that point, boom, same thing again.  He kicked.  I jumped but he was strong.  Again, He pipped me to the line.  He was only marginally ahead of me but took the line first, me after and looking back we had a large gap to the group.  He was strong.  I noticed he took the end of the climb in the big ring (I was in my 39) and used that to make his jump.  He was also a big guy, pretty powerful.  Seemed he had a plan and stuck to it, whilst pulling it off well.  We would chat a few days later an he would apologise to me funnily enough.  He would say that he wasn't really a climber but was able to kick powerfully, which was his tactic.  He was good at that!

So, stage finishes in a sprint and I just make sure I have room and that there are no time gaps.  Finished the day @56 on GC, with the KOM as follow:

1) Dude who beat me two times: 10 points

2) Me 6

3) Third place 2

So, it seemed the stage was set for the KOM battle...

Great, I got to sit in and check Facebook on my Garmin for 35 miles before having to do anything.  Happy with that.  Sat near the back, watched Siggis ramp up the pace, slow down, ramp up the pace, slow down...  They seemed to be having fun.  One dude took a tumble in the neutral zone a few bikes ahead by hitting road furniture.  Also, some guy in my field was super pro and half was through the neutral zone jumped off his bike into a bush and started peeing.  This set it all off and about 30 riders, myself included, copied.  Quite pro, quite European and quite refreshing.  The race referee behind us, surprisingly, instead of getting upset (as you know, aberrant peeing at races is a big No-No), told the pace car to slow down and just looked the other way.  Nice.  We all caught back on just as the race began proper.

I ignored the sprint and a few miles before the KOM got into position at the front.  Almost a carbon copy of the day before.  My competition and I put the pace up at the front.  200 m  to go and boom, off he goes, big ring again.  I followed, just couldn't close the gap.  At the line he had about 4 bike lengths on me.  Looked behind and there was a massive gap to the next guys (and yes, despite them having almost no remaining chance in the competition, they were competing??).

At this point, he'd sealed a fine victory:

1) Dude who was winning 20 points

2) Me 13 

We get to the bottom of the first climb.  We head up Baby Gap.  Not too serious but I thought at least it would take out some of the field.  I got to the front few riders and settled in.  We crested then descended to the bottom of the incline before the next climb and looking back we still had about 30 riders.  I was pretty surprised.  I suppose it occurred to me that this was a bit of a climbing race so I should expect that.  Then we hit App. Gap.  The summit finish.  I was fourth wheel with and surrounded by the race contenders.  As we hit the first ramp, the KOM leader looks behind.  Having seen that look several times by now I knew what was coming.  Boom, big ring, rips the front of the group right off, on the first ramp.  This was strong and after fighting to stay with him out of the saddle, which is not my style, I got gapped a little.  There was a group of about 12 now, with me tittering off the back.  Their pace slowed slightly I used this time to force myself onto the back of the group.  This. Was. Going. To. Hurt.

As we hit another switchback the pace went up again, not sure exactly how.  I think two 'mini' attacks' in succession.  This had the effect of stretching out the group with small gaps between riders with the ~12 or so stretched out over about 30 m.  At this point, the field was being cooked by itself (as per your predictions Marc).  However, I couldn't just sit back and ignore the moves, even though they felt too much.  The Yellow Jersey, KOM, second place and other contenders were all in the group.  For GC purposes it wasn't possible to just let someone go and hope they would blow later.  I got as comfortable on my bike as possible and started cranking in the saddle, much more my style.  

So, the stage was set.  I was about 10th place now with the leader about 30 m ahead with the contenders/jersey wearers stretched out in between.  I climbed how I wanted, using a gear marginally harder than was comfortable but staying the in the saddle.  After another switchback I started to feel better.  To recover.  Also, more importantly, there were no more attacks up front.  Those who could, had already.  Now, people were trying to hang in as best they could.  I felt stronger up the climb, was getting better, stayed seated and pedaled in a constant high tempo.  I was catching up.  I started overtaking, catching the ones in front by virtue of a constant spin and by trying to keep the gear as high as would allow me to keep it going fluid.  It's funny to catch someone when you are in a 39-24 and they are in a 39-28.  It's like a slow motion chase!  I was moving up.  Great, I looked ahead after a switchback and only 20 m ahead are the Yellow Jersey and KOM.  It was like a second wind seeing that.  Off I went, closing to them.  Got to the next switchback level with them.  Without even a glance, I went by.  I might not get the stage win but I would make GC time.  Didn't even look back, we were now climbing how I wanted and I was at an advantage.  They were not a threat.  They had paid for their early moves.

I was 6th by this point but was running out of climb, had about 1 km left.  I saw 5th place ahead.  I went after him, keeping the same style.  We hit the 500 m to go sign and this is where the pitch went up.  The guy ahead was about 10 m clear.  I had ridden  this climb the day before (using my 25) and was umming and arring over my 25 or 28 cassette.  For me, a saddle climber, the 25 was perfect except that last 500 m, for which I needed a 26/27 to get rythm.  Hence, on the day, although a little under-geared, I went with the 28.

The guy in front was in his 39/28 and at this point was beginning to pedal squares.  Although I was out of the saddle (which was my plan at this point) and in my 28, I was much more fluid.  The whole reason I took that gear.  I was edging towards him, easily seeing that for every revolution of the pedals he suffered through, I was achieving about 1.5 turns.  After about 150 m I passed him.  Again, he was now no threat.  I didn't even glance back at him.  He could have tried to get on my wheel and get me on the line but it wasn't happening.  He had paid for the early pace too.

200 m to go.  Fourth place is about 50 m ahead.  I give it everything.  I am all over the bike and go up a gear.  Am closing, closing.  Oh no, the line came too quick!  I caught the guy on the line.  Didn't quite manage to overtake him but we are awarded the same time as there was no time gap between us.  I finished 5th place, 34 seconds behind the race winner on the same time as 4th.  I had put time into the Yellow Jersey and several contenders.  I also snuck another KOM point on the line.  The hill just wasn't long enough for me.

What a race.

On to the last day- the criterium.

1) Winner 20 points

2) Me 14 

3) The winner of the App. Gap stage 10

When I arrived at the crit I was the second group off.  I knew that this was going to be a hammerfest from the gun and was prepared.  I got a very pleasant surprise when I heard the organisers line up the one field prior to mine.  For the crowd (because we are so awesome and they came to see all the amateur racers), they would call forward the jersey wearers and top 10 GC individually to the line and announce us.  Sweet!  I got my call up and started front row.  Perfect.  I was anticipating this being brutal and having to bully my way forward in the first lap and now the organisers had done it for me!  Happy days!

As I said, I knew it was going to be hard from the go.  Also, this was described in the technical manual as a '6-corner, technical criterium'.  I had little faith in most of my field being able to handle the ride and knew that if I got pushed back put of the top 15 it was bye-bye time.  I would get gapped and caught up with the weaker/less experienced riders.  So, my plan.  Be defensive and try to see the situation with the sprints.  Make sure I was in the front group as the field was destined to break up.  With this in mind, I decided I would hit the front at the beginning.  The very front.  I was convinced that after a couple of laps the field would be done and I couldn't afford to get caught up or would lose my GC place.  I was right.  I mean, it's going to be hectic and hard at the beginning anyway.  I might as well be dishing out the pain and get to pick my lines whilst doing it.

Here is a short video of the crit.  This is turn six of the first lap (Marc; you will know the as the one at the bottom of the descent on the fast side of the course).  [I can't figure out how to link the file into the forum directly as it is a .mov file??].  I am at the front.  I wasn't going that fast but you can see the damage to the field after 6 corners.  I will note here that were were actually neutralised for the first 3 corners so this was only after 3 turns of racing!  The field is in bits and there were already gaps.  I think I guessed right here.  Also, our pace car was a cool Porsche

Here's the second lap, still at the front.  You can't see the field so much in this one but you can see the climb right after this turn.  By now, the damage was done.  It was not because I was fast (don't know how fast I went but it wasn't above normal for a crit start) but the technical nature of the field was enough to shred the pack (for a Cat 4 field anyway).  After the second lap there was a lead group of ~20 or so.  After another lap, the front group ramped it up in anticipation of the sprint that was to come on lap 5.  That was the end.  After 13 laps (the half way point of the race, after which you would be award a GC finishing time regardless of finishing the race or not) the back group of about ~30 riders was pulled from the race.  The next group of about ~15 would eventually finish about a minute or so down on our front group.

The pace was high but not unbearable.  I was kind of a little defensive in the race, perhaps should have done more.  The sprints were contested by a couple of animals who gobbled up the points/time bonuses.  I was happy with that as I was sure my direct rivals were not taking enough time on them.  Maybe even some of my rivals were in a back group?  Hard to tell.  In the end, was so focused on not losing time that I was perhaps not as aggressive as I should have been.  I marked wheels and at the final sprint again made sure that I didn't let any gaps appear.  I should have been more aggressive but it is something I need to work on: making a plan mid race.  I am good at pre-determining plans and sticking with them, even if it hurts.  Not so good on the fly in the race.  I am sure that with some mare aggression I would have been able to get top 10 (I finished 17th on the same time as the winner) but I got a bit obsessed with marking the guys ahead and not losing time.  Shame.

Great race and an excellent course.  Really fun.

Very nicely done!

Had a good time at the race.  Didn't do bad overall.  I ended up 6th.  This wasn't an objective of mine and decided to do it about 3 weeks ago.  I'm confident I could improve.  The TT could be at least 20 seconds better I'm sure.  I only rode it the night before once.  Whatevs.  I won $20 for 6th place on GC.  Whoop.

Racing with GC in mind really changes the complexion of any one individual stage.  Never really raced like that before.  It was really fun and I made sure that I was competing for something at least in each stage, even if not for the win per-se.  

I had two major regrets:

1) I should have used the advice JP gave on how to make a number holder for my bike.  It is not pro to use cable ties and sticky tape.   Although, Ted King was there in his Leaky-Gas gear (not racing) accompanying Tim Johnson who went on to win GC in the Pro race.  I saw Johnson's bike, it had tape too.

2) I didn't do the crit with a bottle of drink (35 minutes, not needed).  Not sure why people do.  I know a bike is more aero with a bottle than not, if it is on the seat tube, but people had these full bottles on their downtubes.  Not pro.  This was a good decision, I should, however, have unbolted the superfluous empty cages for the race.

For these two discrepancies I lose a few Pro-points, although some were gained for peeing en-mass in the neutral start.

Please get back to work now.

good on you

a big fucking result!

now moonwalk, brother!