With legs still spongy from yesterdays effort I lined up for the encore to the Rose Festival Criterium on Saturday morning. The Rose Festival Road Race was not in State Center but a place called Bangor, Iowa. You couldn't call it a town, just a park with a sign indicating you were in Bangor. The other racers were equally as confused as I was at the start. There was no start line and no map of the course. Everyone gathered on the road where we saw an official and began chatting about what the next couple hours would bring. When the whistle blew the only information I had was that it was a 40 mile road race and when we saw a person with a flag turn left.
Off we went with no direction at all. The mood was light and riders were chatting with each other for the first few miles. Before the first turn a rider came out of no cutting me off and driving me off the road into the gravel shoulder. Barely avoiding a crash I managed to get back on the road and rejoin the group. I caught up to him and politely asked what the hell he was doing? His response was "quit your crying" I knew immediately that was someone to stay well away from for the next two hours.
The course turned out to be a large 20 mile square. The wind buffeted the peloton from all directions and we formed a tight pack for most of the race. Mr. Etiquette made his way through the group nearly causing numerous crashes and I chuckled as each rider cursed under their breath at each narrowly avoided crash. At one point I overheard someone say "watch for his shoulder to dip before he veers off so you can see what direction he's going" It was truly the worst riding I have ever seen in a race.
The pace was steady most of the race with a few minor attacks of the front but nothing that would stick. Clearly this was going to be a sprint finish. Going around the final turn we had about 4 miles to the finish. I was feeling good and as the pack slowed I decided to push the pace at the front. Bad Decision. As my speed hit 30 mph I could not longer hear wheels behind me. I drove the pace faster and faster thinking I had a chance at a solo finish. My legs screaming I drove on... finally hitting the 1k sign I thought that maybe I had a chance at it. With about 200m to go the road took an uphill approach to the finish and the first rider went around me. I had nothing left in the legs to respond. At the finish another group went around and I had to settle for a disappointing 9th.
My cheering section was there at the line and it felt great to be congratulated even though the race didn't turn out like I wanted. All around it was a great week of racing and I can't wait to do it again next year. Race data for the road race are posted here.
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