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Cycling Tue Mar 23 2010
Gapers Block Crits Are Going
Despite a cutting wind from the north, last night's first night of racing in the Gapers Block Criterium Series went off without any major snags. The fields were full, especially the women's field, which saw 24 racers toe the line, a massive increase from last year.
The consensus from last night's racers is that the wind offered its own major challenges. Coming down the front straight, racers saw speeds of 30+ mph, but as they came around the curve toward the beach, the wind would slow them down to the mid-teens. Such conditions make for challenging racing, but it can offer the advantage of splitting the field, giving the chance of a well-timed break to succeed.
Tonight's race promises a little less wind, but no less awesome racing. There are a small amount of day-of slots open for the Men's 4/5 fields -- first come, first served. There are also some spaces in the Women's field.
Race reports are still few-and-far between, but Kate Carolan (Half Acre Cycling) said this, "This was the first road races for all the HAC ladies. Katie, Sarah, and I rode near one another in the pack the whole time and realized afterwards that we should have had some strategy or teamwork. We're testing that out tonight."
Teamwork is key, so is strategy, but maybe the most important thing for these kinds of races is a heaping dose of luck. Best of it to all.
