March 6, 2016 RKO2, Red Kite Criterium

This is the second event in this year's Red Kite Omnium Series

There are two races today for me:

M45/55 cat 3/4

50 riders (twenty nine 45+ and eleven 55+)

teammates
45+ Jeff Kato, Yann Bertaud, Craig Auzenne, Mark Cook
55+ Matt Tretheric, Dan Tkach, Jim Forester

M35 cat 3/4 

50 riders

teammates
Jeff Kato, Long Nguyen, Jim Forester, Jeff Bilodeau, Ernie Riley, Jaime Madrigal, Yann Bertaud, Kurt Kuckein, Mark Cook, Phillip Barros, Craig Auzenne, Dan Rugani

Race #1 - M45/55 cat 3/4

result: a lowly 8th among the 55s (likely way back at 32nd overall)

Still behind fitness-wise, I lost another week after my minor crash at the Snelling RR. I was feeling good enough for some tougher workouts this past week, but not sure enough whether my upper ribcage could take the torque of racing yet, so I left registration to day-of. Oh man… fifty bucks!!! and twenty more for each additional heat?! Visions of wet pavement, squirrelly riders, and a reunion with the hard ground at speed weighed heavily on my mind and still slightly achy body.

By Saturday evening, the precipitation forecast for Livermore valley looked better than that for Marin, so I was going. I planned only to do the 55+3/4 race (raced with the 45+3/4s, picked separately). But then I thought with so many of our guys present, it’d be a chance for us to get used to racing together, so I signed up for the 35+3/4 heat too.

The 0.9 mile course is probably the least technical, best-paved, suburban industrial-park criterium course with the widest streets I’ve seen. There are only three true 90-degree turns, but at over 30mph you can still pedal through.

This was to be 40 minutes, but actual time was 36:48, for sixteen laps. Before the start they announced how many primes there would be (five, mostly bottles of wine). I was excited by the first one as it was only open to the 55+ guys.

The whistle blows and we’re off. The 55+ prime was a sprint to the line at the end of lap two. With only a handful of 55s in the race, I set up to get into the last turn on the wheel of anyone handy. It did take some work to get the right wheel, but luckily the San Jose BC guy must not have known I was there because he led me out perfectly, and I came around him just before the line. That $20 bottle of Longevity Tempranillo will just cover my second reg. fee. And something to remember: primes get you three omnium points each. I don’t have plans to focus on the entire RK series, but if you’re racing in a category that’s in competition, denying a competitor those points can be a thing to think about.

The remaining 14 laps I raced like a beginner–no goals, no plan, no communication. It was finally clear that all of my hesitation about the weather and my recent crash got in the way of my commitment to the race. I knew that positioning into the final turn was key to the finish, but I just sat and let the swarm begin on the bell lap and stayed out of the scrum, coming over the line about 32nd. A fifty dollar Sunday group training ride.

At least I collected a bottle of wine that would cover the cost of my next race.

Race #2 - M35 cat 3/4

result: 34th

Already a bit embarrassed by my riding in the first race, I failed to muster the smarts to take a role in Jeff’s broad plan for our 12-man team, which was for sprinters Jeff and Kurt stay fresh. Long keeps sheltered as leadout man, hoping to be joined by one more of us. The rest of us stage repeated attacks in twos and threes, causing the rest of the field to chase.

Our team failed to create any significant attacks, and those that were attempted weren’t joined by any teammates. With about five laps to go, 3 or 4 riders broke away, very quickly gaining a ten-second gap. I saw Jeff “prairie-dogging” and knew we were blowing the defense. While Ernie moved to the front to chase, I spent one more lap, very “late to the party”, moving forward, looking to grab two teammates to start a sacrificial chase, but also taking verbal flak from other racers that CBRE had better shut this down (one of the obligations of having such a large team presence).

I tapped Jaime on the butt approaching turn 4 and he and (forgive me but I couldn’t see who else) picked up the pace. I fried quickly, flicked my arm and peeled off the recover, and put in another dig with 2 laps to go. We still hadn’t closed that gap enough, but thankfully the swarming on the bell lap brought everything back together for the bunch sprint.

There was a crash mid-bunch, which luckily didn’t involve any CBRE riders. With no help, Jeff got boxed-in, but still managed 8th over the line.

Lessons learned

I’m embarrassed that I performed as I did in both of these races. The wide range in ages, the blend of cat 3 and 4, provided the first opportunity for many of us teammates to actually race together. Our large team presence contained a wide range of experience too. Jeff has done his best to lead, and while I’m not as skilled, I should have stepped up and taken a more commanding role organizing the other guys to execute the attacks and better police the front of the peloton so that breakaways are either joined by CBRE, or shut down faster.

Amid my disappointment, an unexpected surprise: CBRE Racing is really doing well in certain categories of the Red Kite Omnium Series.

2016 Red Kite Omnium Team Standings
First place in 55+ Cat 3/4

Second place in 35+ Cat 3/4

Fourth place in 45+ Cat 3/4

Third Place in Overall Team Competition

Among note individually, in the 55+ Cat 3/4 competition, four of us are in the top ten:

2016 Red Kite Omnium Individual Standings

(55+ Cat 3/4)

1st place Matt Tretheric - 27 points

tied for 5th - Jim Forester - 13 points

tied for 7th - Dan Tkach - 12 points

tied for 7th - Myself - 12 points