EV Spring Series - River Road - 4th C

Fun race today, dry but cool and slightly foggy and damp during the warm up. There where 75 riders in both C and B groups and I think about 40-50 in the A's (and I think another 20+ rode in the Novice race.)

Lot's of crashes today, which is strange, this is an almost flat course with mostly good pavement and turns. But the A's and B's seemed to have a series of crashes.

On our (C group) bell lap, we had to go around a (I think A) rider down on the side of the road being attended to just before our last turn.

Our group almost managed to get done without a crash, but as (it seems) every year, there was a crash just past the last turn (700m to finish). People come out of the turn and seem to get frantic to get a good position for the sprint and someone goes down.

The B group apparently also had a crash there, and shortly after that the A and Novice race (novice starts after the C group finishes) where stopped as there where too many people down on the course to get safely around it (either for racers or ambulances...)


I was lucky, I hadn't really planned on contesting the sprint. But for better or worse ended up towards the front of the pack for the last two laps and right at the front (fourth) around the final turn.

This set me up reasonably well, although I was boxed in for a bit as more people came around (note to self, don't sit *right* behind the lead out riders, keep slightly to one side, to give yourself a place to go to when other riders come up...)

Once things opened up a bit (with 700m there really isn't that much of a rush...) I had an opening and took it. Easily got to the front and took 4th by a wheel, about 10-20 m behind the first 3 finishers.

To get TSS up a bit I did one circuit of the Snake Hill course before leaving (it starts at the same location.)