Whitewater Criterium

EDITED
We have never done this race. The women's race started at nearly 5 pm and about a 2.5 hour drive I didn't really want to do it. So I opted to do the Men's 45+ with Hank.

We kind of got lost thanks to Mapquest getting there and made it with just enough time to dress, and register. We had 15 minutes to warm up. I kinda felt ok, but it was one of those "oops didn't warm up enough'' kinda things which sometimes doesnt really matter.
But, of course, in this race it mattered. :O

The course looks like this: take a paperclip, hold both loops and pull them apart so the loops are at a 90 degree angle . Now straighten out the top loop end so it opens up and it is at a 90 degree angle. Now cut off the loose arm on top and take a coiled spring and connect it to the free ends of your paper clip.
Yup. that is the course.
From the start finish line you go UP a rather steep little hill then it turns sharply into a little golf cart parkish road, no curbs, just flat asphalt thru the trees....lots of trees. ...lots of big trees.....no padding on trees. .......left, left rightleftrightright left....little swirly narrow road. THEN....it dips downhill into a sharp V crevice to the street...the street is narrowed in half as you turn immediatly right...to a long stretch which rises up and up...then turns again for more rising until it finally gives you a graceful downhill and maybe 2 seconds of relief before you turn into a U turn corner....RIGHT into a hairpin curve....then you sprint like heck to the hill again as you pass the S/F line. 1/2 mile course.
FUN!
Hank said it was the stupidest course he has ever done.

The guys were good natured and laughing with each other. It was a light hearted event.
A Mack rider and IS Corp rider were off the front on the first lap and the chase group hit it. I saw 25-30? men at the start line but the race immediately dwindled to Two in front and 13 chasing. I heard the next day that many people rode one lap and went to their cars and went home, forfeiting their 25 bucks in the process.
I have raced all season and after 15 minutes, this is the first race I dropped out of. I didn't see the point of trying to just ride and finish. The two guys I was riding off the back with kept pedalling and eventually got lapped. But they were riding for series points. ((cup series))
The only time I could rest or catch back on was the little hill.
It seems that if you are a good bike handler and can time trial. You got an advantage to a course like this to just power hard in the first 5 minutes and TT the entire race. No one can move on you. Its yours. As long as you hold that pace solid.

Hank said he never could get a rythm. Me neither. Well. you can feel how painful this course was.

Hank did very well and got 7th. The last lap came up and the IS corp won. Mack took second. A second break had been following the two leaders ahead of the chase group. One of them flatted just as they approached the start finish line.... BOOOOM lke a gun shot right in the hairpin turn. It messed up the chase group a bit as they sprinted to the finish.

What a bizarre race! I could not imagine that race with a 60 guys on it. unreal.

The weather was so nice up there. Sunny, warm. It was cloudy and rainy down here and still is , even as I type.
Yeah. nice day. But wow that course kicked your butt. whew.