Cherry Pie Criterium - February 9th, 2014

Event	Cherry Pie Criterium
Date	02/09/14
Group	35+ 4/5
Bib #	957
Result	5th of 20
Course	1-mile lap on good, wide roads in business park area. A stiff 100 meter climb on each lap. Uphill finish.
Details of Race	It was pouring rain, but I needed one more race to qualify for an upgrade to category 4. I decided to go for it, but chose to ride the spare bike, my $179 eBay find, a mid-80s Raleigh Competition. I mounted good tires and hoped that using the bar-end Dura Ace shifters wouldn't foul me up in a pack. I fought for all three primes, but won none. These sprints definitely split up the field. Two attacked on the final lap and I tried to bridge alone. I was losing ground so I sat up to rejoin the remainder of he pack and sprint for 3rd. I ended up with 5th place & I won a soggy envelope containing a 10-dollar bill! On the following Monday I submitted my request for a 5-to-4 upgrade and it became official about 2 hours later.
Advice	A good early season criterium with a good hill. Even though it's in a business park, this course is sort of technical. I like this race.
Links	Results	http://www.usacycling.org/results/index.php?permit=2014-385
	Strava	http://www.strava.com/activities/112292203