Today I raced the Bound Brook Criterium, Cat 3/4 race. This was the first race mass start race I have competed in with Cat. 3 riders and they did not disappoint. Average speed for the race was 24.5, marginally faster than the BLP Grand Prix Cat. 4/5 last month. The race was longer by about 15 minutes, and there was more elevation change in the course.
The race started off with a hiccup. At the start, my bike suffered a mechanical failure as someone walked through the field. They bumped my rear derailleur, knocking the shifter cable out. I have never had a failure like that at a race with a “free lap” rule in effect, and as such, I did not understand how to handle the problem. Instead of taking a free lap at the pit, I fixed the issue myself on the side of the road, and the officials didn’t think I deserved a free lap.
Ultimately, I chased the field for 8 laps, which was exhausting. I spent the majority of my gas on the chase, which was not successful. Once I saw the field gaining behind me, I gave up and fell back into the field. I did not know my status with respect to the free lap, and so I hung at the back. Even hanging at the back of the field was difficult. I finished in a field sprint, 31 out of over 100 that started.
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