Tuesday Night Twilights #1

Race report:
Tue Twilights race #1
05 April 2011
last race of the night (expert)
place: 8th


The first twlight crit of the season, at the fairgrounds, had fantastic weather. As we're still nowhere near the solstice yet, the last race of the evening saw the sun set completely on us and we were sprinting for the win in the gloaming (as they say).


Anticipating a big effort in the evening I went with the apple fritter from (sponsor) My Friend Joes in the morning. It was as big as my head! Turns out I would use every last calorie in that monster.


The pistachio pro mens team were out in force as well as a Cal Giant racer, the Bobas, the ever threatening Dr. Todd (NorCal) and a very strong Red Peloton presence. It all, maybe 40 starters? 


I was kitted out in Poseur-Charlatan livery as my WCR kit was recently used on Sunday. Let's just say it was too icky and leave it at that.


I knew from reading cyclingnews that the pistachio boys had been recently shelled (sorry) at the Tour of Redlands and thought that back home at the local race they would take it out on us. I was partly right.


They took off right at the start, causing great panic in the peloton. Fortunately there was enough local horsepower to bring them back. Immediately attacks flew one after the other. I couldn't believe my luck; I felt good enough to respond in a measured manner to each surge and actually participated in a few raids off the front. The pace was high though (26.7 avg, fast for such a sinuous course) and nothing stuck. The most promising move was midway through the race when a couple pistachios, a couple red peloton riders and Dr. Todd plus a couple other riders and myself snaked away through the speedbump-and-technical section on the bottom of the course. I felt that there was good representation in this break that it would stay away. But it was not to be, as we were caught after a lap and half.


A couple more unsuccessful efforts brought us down to the lap cards in the failing light. I thought that the pro pistachios would effect a torrid leadout for big Sterling Magnell, a gifted and daring sprinter, but the speed did not ratchet up like I thought it might (too bad, as I had super glued myself to his rear wheel) I felt like the pistachio boys should have roasted all of us (sorry).


Red peloton started getting a train together but the wattage was frankly lacking. As it turns out I lost a few positions on the backstretch due to some aggressive argy-bargy midfield and tried to recover my position for the sprint. At the mexican plaza at the start of the straightaway I was stuck in like 13th place or so but had fair amount of momentum and punched it up the long windswept straight to the finish. I found Dr. Todd's wheel, we both passed several riders, and I was in the process of coming around the good doctor but ran out of race. I also failed to make a dent in the podium, but as I don't fancy myself a sprinter I felt it was a good showing.


-Rick