And so, the first proper race report of the year....

.......is a dud

La Grange Training Ride
kennybz.com

It was a crummy race, but I guess I'm still obligated to write about it. The race in question: MLK Day Criterium. It was a nice vibe throughout the event. Weather was good, start time wasn't 8am, prize list, legs. Everything checked out. Some variables are beyond my control, however. For one, the field was pretty small. 40 tops. It's okay. Hilton Clarke, Ton Cruz, and former teammate C-walk. Ok. Hilton can ride, Ton is a good guy, and c-walk will make the break stick. Easy enough.

I lined up. Somehow....the LaGrange team fielded nearly 20 [t w e n t y] riders in the tiny field. Mon dieu! Not a huge worry, but a bit disheartening. I braced for disappointment & frustration, and toed the line. We start. I quickly realize that corners are both more frequent and faster than in the EU...and so, the first couple laps were dodgey for me. Things settled in, and as expected, a couple LG riders got a bit of a gap....not very difficult when you have half the field working in your favor. Still, C-Walk's first move was unmarked, and pretty much led to the success of the break. I tried and tried to get up there. I countered anything Cruz or Clarke did...I even countered my own moves out of frustration -only to have a different LG guy sitting there. Clarke and a few others (who i'm sure did equal pulls!) eventually got up there, and it was game over. I still attacked the shite out of the remaining field, and made the LG guys work a bit for what will end up being a $6 share of the prize money. It was a nice workout, and I liked the way the body recovered between moves. I buried myself pretty bad though, and didn't contest the field sprint for the last money spot and rolled in for 21st. Clarke won, and LaGrange placed 2nd-20th. Bravo, tip of the hat!