Nice result with a 3rd place- podium today at Vacaville GP (NorCal Circuit) after a tough Road Race yesterday in the hills with Steven Davis. Read on for my finishing report of today.... Furthermore, its great to race, travel, and work with these compadres, Bryan Larsen and Steven, who have been a big part of my development. When we come up and run in these crits we can really show our [SoCal] stuff and have fun together. We help each other but also compete hard against one another, being that we wear different colors. Today the three of us were flying in good form. ~50 man field with 2 well represented teams - Mikes Bikes and Strava Mark Pro - who are in a tight points race, meaning lots of attacks on this 8-turn, one-bump course. Long story short it came down to a sprint with Bryan and I near each other at the final lap. He remained in front of me and I swept behind ensuring no riders could come through. As we came over the final hill the acceleration was hard for the field but us two blasted over and to the final corners in front. I screamed at Bryan through the last turn telling him we had it. He threw down a BIG sprint and didnt let up for what seemed a 300+ meter stretch. I remained tight on him and was giving everything in this heat. Only 2 riders could hold on behind us as we surged forward, one being a very opportune James LeBerge who wears Stars and Stripes. He came around us at the last moment to take his victory as Bryan and I crossed in utter defeat. Hats off to LeBerge. It was an amazing sprint from Bryan showing his big power. I felt good to be there and have an opportunity to win. Ultimately its a tough pill to swallow when neither of us can make it happen, especially with a lead out like his. We (I) made small mistakes which LeBerge pounced on but I also dont race in this situation much and certainly not with Bryan. We take away important tactical lessons here and let the toxic feeling of defeat push us forward. We also rejoice in solid results for ourselves. Great to be back on the podium and certainly needed for our mental health into the important Fall. Even better to share a podium with a pal of Bryan and to chat about it with Steven and he after. Great experiences had on the road to NorCal. Thanks to the Larsens for their hospitality. It was perfect and beautiful. I hope to return sooner than later. Thanks to #SPYOptics and #GIANTBicycles for the best equipment on the road. Tomorrow is Giro of San Francisco where we hope to seal the deal. Cheers to all and to all a cheer.
Posted on: Mon, 01 Sep 2014 06:00:30 +0000
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