If there is a worst case scenario for a race to play out, Menlo Park was it for me. It was windy which never bodes well for me to do anything solo. As much as I work on it, I just don't have that kind of power to ride a high tempo through gusty wind. I did everything I could to try and get a good result in this race. I moved up to the front after about 3 laps and consistently stayed there. Some friend after the race commented how impressed they were that I was always in the front 10-15 coming through the start finish. But, it was almost useless because on the back part of the course where the wind picked up everybody just sat up, every single lap. I don't blame people for not wanting to drag the group around the course. Especially into the wind, but don't put yourself on the front of the group if you're not willing to drive it. Every lap it'd sit up and the group would fan out gutter to gutter and I'd find myself boxed in as people were trying to move up on both sides. I couldn't get out so I was stuck working to make way my back up to the front group through the next half of the course. This played out on every single lap.
With 3 laps to go I found myself in a group of 6 that had simply rolled off the front of the rest of the field through the headwind. The group was comprised of 2 sets of teammates on different teams, some dude, and me. I don't think any of us really meant to get off the front, but when I looked back we had a decent gap and nobody did any real work to open it up. The rest of the group was just doing their annual sit up and take a breather routine on that part of the course. Unfortunately it was also a prem lap and for some reason the two sets of teammates were more interested in that then they were trying to win the race. Once they realized we had a gap all four of them sat up completely disinterested in doing any work. I said I'd gladly give them the prem if they'd just ride. They grunted and I realized that our group of 6 was just going to be sitting there waiting to be reabsorbed. Maybe I should have just went by myself and seen what happened but with 3 laps to go I just didn't think there was any real chance of staying away solo. So, frustrated, I sat up too. No one out of our group of 6 won the prem.
I put myself back in the front 10 with 2 laps to go and then again on the last lap but of course this did no good as the group would bunch back up in the wind and I'd get boxed in. The drag to the finish was long and so I was hoping I'd be able to follow wheels up without doing much work having other deposit me in the front 10 for the sprint. The speed jumped like it always does but usually that just means that somebody at the front got too excited and is going to blow up soon. A guy came by me on the left and so I jumped on his wheel. Unfortunately he was only strong enough to go about 2 places before he died and I watched my old place in the big line go by on the right. Another guy came by on the left so I followed him. Same thing, about 2-3 places and pop! Another guy, pop! Another, pop! At this point I was about 20-25 wheels off the front and realized if I was going to do anything I needed to just moved up myself so I went. As soon as I got to about 15th the guys the front started their actual sprints and I realized it was done. I pounded my bars in frustration and sat up to roll across the line.
I guess I could have went ahead and sprinted anyway to try and get as high of a placing as possible but I just don't see the point. There's no upgrade points after 6th place so who gives a shit whether you come in 7th of 30th. I have no idea where I ended up and they haven't posted results yet. On the cool down lap I was reminded of a Jens Voigt quote from a few Tours ago. The interviewer asked Jens why he was constantly going in breaks when the likely hood of one staying away was so small. Jens replied to the best of my memory, "I am not a guy that wins in the group. So if I stay in the group the whole day I don't have any chance. I'd at least like to give myself the chance to win. If I don't try, I'm losing before I start."
Next time, head wind be damned. If it's going to play out that way, I'll give it a go. Let's hope this weekend goes a little better!
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