Sprinting!

Today at the Valley of the Sun...goal: be near the front to follow the moves and be smart. Well, I accomplished that and more. Going into the final lap I knew the final climb and 1k to the finish at the summit people would blow and it would be hairy and fast. Well it was all that. I positioned myself well protected from the wind but keeping my options of escape open in case I had a weak rider in front. Well when it got to the summit I kept pushing harder and making my way up. Then with about 200m to go I knew it was going to be time. I saw a move go on the left and I liked it, and immediately a hole opened and I took it and powered away. Behind I could just hear bikes crashing and wheels being torn, the effects of being in the back of a sprint. I kept pushing and sure enough it worked, 4th! I am totally stoked right now. It wasn't a excessively fast race but the pace put the hurt on everyone. I kept feeling better as the race wore on, which is typical of me. Today was probably the most tactically sound race I have ever ridden. I knew that I had to be savvy b/c my fitness is still coming around. Well, I surprised myself and put some doubts away. Bike racing is so much more than just power. Sure you have to make the wheels go fast but a less fit rider who is smarter can make up for lack of fitness. I watched a lot of stupid moves today. Made huge gains on turns and saved energy b/c I wasn't having to break like others and just didn't do stupid shit. I also stayed hydrated which is one of my prior weaknesses.

One thing I heard a lot of riders talking about while racing were their wattages. I disagree with watching the numbers and thinking about it. Either you turn the pedals to stay with the peloton and make the moves or you don't. Wattages don't matter. What matters in a race is your speed, your positioning, and your smarts. All else is for the birds. Sure I like to see what I did on the SRM, but thats for after the race. I don't even think I looked at the damn thing all race. And I advise the same for everyone else. Either you make the race or you don't.

Today was a great day for me. Again, I want to stress to all the aspiring bike racers out there....don't put yourself into a category "climber," "sprinter," "crit rider," or "road racer." Everyone needs to try to excel and train for all races unless someone is paying you a nice salary to do otherwise. Every race has opportunities for every rider. Today I made the most of it. Tomorrow, I'm looking to do the same.

Chow,
Matthew