MIDSOUTH MASTER CYCLING CLUB

The combined field was about 30 riders.  There were a couple of guys from Texas who I have raced against here in the past as well as some of the Peake guys and others from local teams.  S3 does a great job with this race and obviously invest quite a bit of money into it.  There is never a shortage of police support plus their payouts are some of the highest in our area.  I am not a huge fan of the road course however.  It seems like the hills aren't big enough to really split the field but they do wear on my legs.  This year there was also tar on the road which got all over my bike, clothes and legs.

The pace starts out pretty fast with Dan Morgan with a Pearland, TX team and Scott Simmons also from TX pushing the pace.  I am tucked in near the front and happy to let them set a pace with me in the draft.  Robert moved up to the front to get into some of the action before pulling off and starting to drift into the pack.  About this time we crossed a pretty big pot hole and I had to bunny hop it while calling it out to riders behind me.  Apparently Robert moved back into the pack just in time to run through the hole and flat his front tire.  He would get my wheel out the wheel truck but would not be able to catch back on the main pack.  He would finish the race riding in with Michael Humphreys.

I got into a few attacks shortly after one of the more significant hills.  Scott Simmons was really pushing the pace and I wasn't feeling all that great.  We got caught a short while later and I drifted further back into the draft in the pack.  Jerry marked another break and then Scott Simmons went again solo.  One of the Master 45 guys bridged to him and they started pulling away.  I worked with Jerry and some other guys off and on to pull them back in but nothing was getting organized.  The Peake guys worked steady with Jaro, Jerry, and me but things would end up falling apart.  I can see the Cat 1,2,3 race in front of us as the two guys off the front of our race move through them.  This wasn't looking too good.

During our third lap, we come up on Mark, Jed Darby with Precision Bikes and Branden Morvant with NOBC all who flatted in the same hole that got Robert.  Mark was able to catch on to the back our pack but the race officials forced him to ride around us to try to catch onto his race.  I was still thinking there was a chance we could catch the two leaders off the front but it was starting to wear on me.  My legs were starting to cramp off and on with the heat.

On our last lap, we passed through the Cat 1,2,3 race and it is clear we will be sprinting for second place in each Masters category.  My legs are really starting to cramp a lot more now.  I stand to push the pace on the bigger hill on the last lap and things really lock up.  I tell Jerry that I am I going to have problems sprinting since I doubt I will be able to stand up.  I see Jaro in the back of the pack and figure he may be hurting some as well since he hasn't been racing as much lately.

I am second in the pack on Dan Morgan's wheel as we head into the last mile or so of the race.  Jaro was planning to give a long leadout starting when we turned the last corner with ~ 500 meters left in the race.  As we get close to 1 km, Jaro comes up in gravel on the right shoulder and I open a gap for him right in front of me.  Things are starting to take shape.  Dan takes the last corner wide and cranks up his speed.  Jaro is right with him and I am right on Jaro's wheel.  We are in the mid-30s and Jaro doesn't show any signs of slowing.  I look up the road and see a logging truck stopped in the right lane about 200m from the finish line.  I move around Jaro and Dan and am in the lead at ~150m.  I can't keep enough speed without standing and see Jorge Merle come by me on the left.  Jerry is on Jorge's wheel but isn't able to come around him.  Randy Legeai with NOBC comes around me as well but is in the Master 45 race.  We end up finishing Jerry 3rd, me 4th, and Jaro 5th which places us all in the money.  Jaro did a great job delivering me exactly where I needed to be and I wish I could have delivered even if only for second place.       

Master road race finish sprinting past the logging truck

Sunday's criterium race in downtown Alexandria has a lot of turns and will be fast.  Mark is back racing with us for the crit so that will give us another rider.  There is a long finishing stretch of maybe 400 meters or more that is preceded by two quick turns.  Our placing in the road race put Jerry, me and Jaro in the top eight in the omnium which pays the top five spots.  If we are able to pass a few riders, we should be able to place two of us in the overall money.  During our warm-up Jaro said that he was going to be going through the last two turns first and will be able to take anyone on his wheel to the line.  This corner has a man hole cover that crashed Jaro a few years ago and I think we all look for it now each lap.

The race starts out very fast as I figured and the pack was immediately spread out.  Jerry was second and I was about fifth.  As we approached the back side of the course I could hear sirens.  This wasn't good.  I look up and see a fire truck coming into our intersection.  The front four guys blow through it but I ease up a bit in case I need to grab a handful of brakes to keep from getting hit.  Fortunately, the fire truck stops short for us to pass and I work to close the gap before Mark comes around me to finish closing it.

Criterium race spread out close to the start

I tuck into the pack and try to hold on.  After another lap or so I hear a tire blow and someone go down.  Apparently Robert's rear tire went this time and just as he was blowing through a corner.  He said he was able to save it a few times before finally going down.  There was some confusion in the pit and he ended up not getting his free lap and fell behind us.  The pace doesn't ease up much until 20 minutes into the race and even then not much.

Mark attacked off the front and ended up catching up with Robert.  They worked to stay away but eventually got caught and immediately one of the TX guys says they are disqualified.  This is often a point of confusion but in a criterium.  Riders on different laps can work together as long the lapped rider isn't contesting the sprints.  I try to explain the rules to him but it is hard to have a conversation at this pace.

Jason trying to hold on

As they start counting down the laps, things are getting more and more crowded around the corner.  Most riders still go through in a steady line but one guy is going through crazy and causing a lot of problems.  I am on Jaro's wheel and don't feel too bad since I have been sitting in the whole race.  During the last lap, Mark comes around me to try to get in front of Jaro and provide more of a leadout.  On the third to last turn Eric Spina with Absolute Racing comes in on the inside and pushes a large part of the pack wide left in a chain reaction to avoid him.  I see Jaro move up on the outside of the pack on the right as we approach the second to last turn but I am way to the left and am no where close to his wheel.

Jaro  blow through the second to the last turn and he already has a gap.  I go through the corner probably ten riders back.  As I go through the corner my back wheel either skips or was tapped by another rider and I have to slow to keep from hitting the outside curve.  As I round the last turn I can see that Jaro is gone and will easily win the criterium.  I crank up the pace and pass some stragglers before I cross the line.

Jaro wins the Criterium race going away

Jaro's win moved him up to third overall on the omnium payout while Jerry took fifth.  My legs are tired from the races and I am ready to head back home.  Jerry worked his butt off in both races but decided he wanted some more so jumped in with the Cat 1,2,3 criterium.  It was good to have Jaro back racing with us after his break.  He clearly has one of the most dominant sprints around.  It looks like next weekend for the Tour de Louisiane, we will have almost everybody in the race which should be fun.