I think this is a well-produced race on a great course. Six turns and two hills in a mile. It's a hard rolling crit. Gotta turn well, sprint well, handle your bike well, move uphill decently. I'll be there.

https://www.BikeReg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=13994

Good news/bad news kind of report.

Basking Ridge is a great rolling criterium. 1.2 mile circuit with about 40 feet of climbing per lap, but the 40 come in less than .8 of a mile. Big ring all the way, but its easy to go from feeling fine to on the edge in within a lap. Downhill finish. Calls for good bike handling skills, a 20-second uphill sprint out of turn two every lap, and a 40-second uphill sprint out of turn five, then take the last turn fast and start hammering downhill, where if you're in the middle of the field, you sit up shortly after the finish line to make sure you ahve a good wheel to follow into turn one.

Best news is I'm feeling better and better on the bike again, whew!

Good news, easier than last year. The first 24 minues was only conducted at only 4.52 w/kg normalized power rather than the 4.76w/kg normalized that burned me last year. And I only had one moment of despair, when the guy in front of me started sliding out on the exit of turn two--a downhill to uphill switch that is fast and should be easy. Having to slide myself, a gap 10-meter gap quickly opened and I was able to shut it down pretty quickly, though it was probably my hardest effort of the race.

A surprising thing was how few people pedaled through turn five and how late people started pedaling out of turn six. Not many technical crits these days, I guess, and there was definitely a lack of cornering skills toward the back of the field.

Field slowed a bit after 30 minutes, and I was even able to feel frisky at five to go, when I briefly tried rolling off the front. Thought it was a good setup for getting in a a second move, as the winning break was already off the front.

Bad news, dropped with 2.5 laps to go. When I got dropped, my normalized was down to 4.35 w/kg. Still rode it in, and finished ahead of the rain.

I want Harriman back.

JP

You'll finish well again when you're back to 100% JP... thx for the report.