By John Cheetham -- ICCC Dash for Cash (3) -- 06/05/10
Despite living less than a mile from the Dash For Cash course, I've never done it. Spectated a few times, but listening to the tales over the years of Dashes For Crashes and whatnot had me leery.
This year- why not. I had some teammates going, could race 3 races in one day, and never leave the city limits- good stuff.
After a hard friday night race at Hellyer in the 123, where I spent 10 laps OTF in the scratch race for no good reason, couldn't score one point in the points race, and was the first one out in the miss n out, my legs were beat, but I ate lots when I got home and felt semi- human Saturday morning.
1st race- Cat 3.
I sat in most of this one- there was a early break that went away and dangled at 20 seconds at most and grabbed primes, later this came closer and more folks bridged, when SJBC and Pillar bridged there was no big push and the break, while now disorganized, still hung out there. I followed a big kid from LGBRC over with 2 to go and the field followed, disorganized. Got a bit swarmed in the last corner and ended up 13th, wah.
2nd race, P123- fun racing with Mitch and Rob D, Paul and Rob c also were in on this adventure with me today- I got far back after a clip in glitch and spent a while moving up- Mitch was doing great up front getting into moves and I just tried to help out with that plan, gumming up the front a bit, dragging back the Webcor express, etc.
Midway through the race I had a minor moment of weakness and simultaneously my head felt like it would explode and my legs locked up- I drifted to the back and saw my friends all hanging out there-they looked so so sad I just kept drifting away... Of course the pack sat up a half lap later but it was too late for me, I went home, gave Rob his wheels back and soaked my head in the laundry tub in the garage for a few minutes, then went back.
3rd race- masters 123-lots of long faces at the start line from the guys trying the triple or double race- it had been windy all day and now was like 4:45 or something.Smaller field, perhaps 30-40ishish. Lots of Safeway,Form, as well as some of the usual suspects.
Race blew up in the crosswinds- I was trying to just hang onto wheels and bridge up as the attrition at the back got bad- until the break established the race just got faster and faster- I had to bridge/chase/ hang for like 2 laps at one point to the lead group, that was some deep bone crushing crosswind time.
Got to the group that was splintering again and followed a wheel over to another group- this ended up being a 6 man chase group trailing Reaney and Joel Robertson in a five man break, one of the hardest riding chase groups Ive ever been in for sure.
I got a bit prickly over who was pulling and whatnot, did my fair share of mouthing off and gapping off, some deserved and some not, sorry to offend, just got a bit excited, that's all.
We had the many time State criterium champion in our group who had just finished third in the P123, so I was resigned to losing 6th place- anyhow, I tried some dumbass attack from the front in the crosswind that shook NO ONE, nice!
Ended up 10th when it was all said and done- very fun race though.
Best,
johnny