Not that that is abnormal - but it always seems odd.

For those who are doing cross this fall, criteriums should be a good form of training.  short race, lots of jumps, a certain amount of bike-handling skills necessary.  If you're not traveling to a cross race on this day, race here.

I'm going to check out the course sometime this week.

We hope he can go and race.

I am leaning towards yes on registering for the 4/5, however I need to do couply type stuff with my better half later in the day (on that side of the river) - so I was thinking of driving out then staying in NJ, vs racing and then riding home to get the car. 

We started with a parade lap to acquaint ourselves with the course.  This was mandated by the officials.  A good thing, too, as I watched at least one person botch each corner.  I got things going on lap 2, wanting to take the corners on my own and get a better feeling for them.  I led through turn three and then the attacks started coming.    

After a few hot laps and nothing getting away, we were neutralized and stopped.  The guy in teh Gotham jersey wasn't supposed to be in our race.  Weird.  He was third in the cat III race and then jumped into the I/II.  Turns out, he shouldn't have been in the threes.  He was DQ'ed from the threes, and we then re-started with Karl Rahn, getting a not-quite 10 second head start, as he was holding that gap when we were stopped.

Quickly reabsorbed, the attacks continued.  The rise from turn three to four (27' in .06mi) wasn't hard.  What was hard was attacking out of turn four, which is what it felt like just about all race, even when I was just following wheels.

After a little while, Mengoni's Sanchez attacks solo.  No one goes with or after.  We ride calmly and when the gap is over 20 seconds, the attacks begin. After a few attacks, it seems like we've got a good chase group forming off the front--I'm with Bill Elliston, John Durso, and some other hammers.  

Only some of the hammers don't want to pull.  And the guys off the back by several seconds get back on.  This basic scenario repeats itself seemingly forever.  A good-looking attack goes, usually out of turn four, and it strangles itself because the guys at second and third wheel won't ride.  Sanchez's gap grows steadily.

This scenario is killing me.  My first 30 minutes had a normalized power of over 4.44 w/kg.  On a good day, this would be manageable, and I'd probably be able to continue attacking, but today I was on the edge of cracking.  Doesn't help that the times I roll to the front just to keep things going, guys with seeming little intention of actually breaking away attack only to sit up.  And when I try following wheels, I seem to get behind Franklin Burgos, who is letting gaps open, and refusing to help close them.

Somewhere about 40 minutes in I think, as we're losing impetus, Mike Margarite rolls away, and no one goes after.  With seven laps remaining, Sanchez laps us.  Solo.  Margarite stays out there.  Not wanting to burn the remainder of my matches, but anxious to whittle the field, I try on a few occasions to roll off when the pace isn't burning up.  I get gaps, but no one comes with, rather the field chases me down. Burgos, btw, attacks with five to go--and cracks quickly. Coming into the final lap, I'm doubting I have anything left for the sprint.  Sprinting up the rise and into turn four, my left hip-flexor starts to cramp.  I do what I can, pass three guys on the run-in to the finish, but out of the money.  

Normalized power dropped to 4.31 w/kg 40 minutes in, and I finished at 4.23.  BTW, checking in on Strava, I tied three other guys for the second-fastest lap recorded at the race.  Two guys rode 1:48.  Three of us rode 1:49.  Which is strange, as according to my Garmin program, my fastest lap was 1:52.  

I really hope that have it next year.  Good, hard race.  I also love the October date.  More crits in October.