Once the race got going it was the usual chaos. Checkpoint workers were late, and we got sent on a return trip to the shop from the first checkpoint after we got manifests. Of course that guy wasnt around either. I used my smarts to get in and out of that mess pretty quick, and im convinced that was the key move of the race for me.
Matt A. also on the CB team and Matt Bud, of embrocation got back to the return about the same time as I did, and we grouped up like a bunch of pack filler on a breakaway. I knew how to get to 1.5 of the checkpoints and Matt A was pretty solid on the other 1.5 so we got to haulin. Like any proper sandbagger I did a minimum of work at the front. Of the 3 of us, Matt Bud was the only one with Gears, so he did the lions share of the work. Matt A was fixed and lost something whenever we hit anykind of elevation. I was pretty pleased with all my brakes and coasting, especially on the long run down Washington in brookline and market street into the watertown stop.
At the last checkpoint I did the hail marry of bike racing, Once I knew where i was going and that I wasnt screwing the Matt's too bad on directions. I did my best to take off, figuring I didnt have much of a shot in a sprint, a long solo run back into central sq seemed my only shot at winning my breakaway. I was pretty sure we were close to the front of the race, if not the leaders. Well, Matt Bud caught me at the Cambridge line. When I could I tried a couple more times to get clear of him. But if bike racing is an armsrace, Matt won with a pretty nice roadbike (self built! check out his stuff here). Each time i went out he caught and came around. I almost nipped him when he dropped a ulock a couple blocks from the shop, but like a pro, he kept his eye on the prize and left it.
When we hit the shop Bud had a good gap, but I was right behind. I gather that we were a few minutes behind the winners, but 3rd for Matt and 4th for me was good enough to put me in the money (or in this case the Rapha swag)!
I won this! The finest cycling hat with a slanty brim money can buy!
Proof that even when you dont win Sandbagging pays off!
way to go. you didn't even have to crash out the competition, cut in line, or rely on a smaht phone for directions.
ReplyDeleteI was lucky enough to be In Front of RMM when he put Morgie into the wall, NASCAR style.
ReplyDeleteSo I just got to worry my teammate had ended his season chasing fancy hats for a few seconds...good times.