Yesterday I rode Carl Dolan and got my first real experience racing with the Cat IVs. As at Walkersville I was caught out by a crash and finished well behind the leaders. The crash this time happened with two of twelve laps to go. I’m not sure what caused it (though I heard talk of pushing and nervous leaning up near the front), but just as we passed the official’s tent about three or four riders when down hard to my front right. It was a close call but I managed avoid the mayhem. I ended up bashing someone (or someone’s bike) with my right knee and shin and earning a little blood. The force of the impact pushed me in the air to my left a few feet for a little sideways bunny hop. I stayed up, but lost a lot of momentum and required a minute or so of easy pedaling to subdue the pain in my knee and regain my speed. I got a nice view of the front group pulling away from me. I just rode as hard as I could for the last two laps and was picked up by a small group of riders to finish off the race. I did not contest 32nd place with a sprint around my draft. Other than that, my race was pretty good. I don’t know of the pace was typical for IVs or not, but it was a lot easier than the usual Hains Point suffer-fest. I even (accidentally) attacked about half way through. I was following someone up who just kept going, so I tried unsuccessfully to stay on his wheel. Incorporating back into the group after the effort was the hardest part of the race for me.

I have seen many emails on the D20 list about negative racing and crashing in the IVs and can attest to their accuracy. The pace was never high for very long and there were more than a few sketchy bike handling maneuvers. Someone on my team said that with this particular course the riders make the race. If people don’t want to go hard, the race won’t be hard; no hills, no wind, the roads wide. A few guys sat on the front chasing things down (even while others in the group yelled at them to chill and let some of the attacks go) but didn’t make an effort to keep it fast. There was enough team representation for riders to work together, but it just didn’t seem to happen. We were consistently moderate. Perhaps Cat IV riders have enough strength to *ride* hard, but not enough savvy (or confidence) to make the *race* hard.

I’m certain I can sit in and roll around without much trouble, but I’m looking for more than that. I am equally certain I’m not as strong as most of the riders out there, but I do think I can be smarter than most. (No one is ever going to say “comrade is strong” about me. It’s just not going to happen. I’m aiming for “comrade can race”.) I’m willing to risk losing many times (hell I’ve been dropped so many times over the past two years of riding that it’s almost de rigueur for me) for the sake of winning once. I figure I’ve got one good attack in me in any race, so I’m learning when to make it count. Yesterday I was planning on just rolling with the punches for my first time out with the Cat IVs yet ended up in a (very short-lived) break. It was worthwhile even if doomed.

-Michael