Great Falls Crit — Cat 3

by Jonah Tower

So, with the NE Crit Championships going on in RI somewhere, and a race for the hill-nuts the day before, it was indeed a field made up of about 20 climber-types. The course was a 1-km rectangle with a slight uphill finish and one steep, yet short, hill, and we had something like 19 miles to accomplish in the blazing sun (just below 90 degrees I figure). For a bunch of skinny guys we kept the pace going pretty good and there were a lot of attacks going and the field was continually reeling everything back in. But, after about half the race the field was getting a little cooked and more and more folks were suffering their way up the short climb. On the last prime (5 to go) another rider and I got a little gap on the field at the top of the hill and decided to go for it. However, the next time around he cracked, and I was left alone with 4 to go. Figuring "what the hell" I put my head down and pushed my HR to the "red line." But, with 4 guys in the field (the only team with more than 2) UNH was hot on the pursuit and was not letting me go. With 2 to go I was all but caught, so I sat up to go back and try to salvage something for the sprint however, then I took another look and the field had done the same, after seeing me sit up, so as I came around the next corner I went back to work and opened the gap again. At this point I was going all out for the last 1.5 laps, and thus I didn't noticed that UNH had launched someone off the front of the field in the last lap that came screaming by me with 1/2 lap left. He took 1st, but I did manage to hold off the field and take 2nd with a little gap, after being out for 4 laps alone.