in at the deep end
my first road race of the year, the first in japan and indeed my first criterium happpened on saturday and all in all it was pretty brutal. the experience was great - an insight into the well-oiled machine that seems to be japan cycling: the family day out with all age groups and levels competing, the good marshalling, the individual chips we got to register our times as we passed the finish line. and the weather was very spring like as a bonus - the wicked wind from china having abaited.
unfortunately I entered the wrong category - unsure if the system was the same as the UK, and having asked some advice - I entered in the top CAT3 race which frankly, dropped me before the end - I rolled in not long after the pack with some stragglers having been dropped after slowing for a crash (I possibly wouldn't have kept up in any case). not bad I thought considering my dislike of the flat (my legs not having the bulk of a japanese keirin {track} rider) and the fact that a healthy dent of the group bit the dust on the same corner on three successive laps. firstly a tubular came off, then someone got trigger happy with the brakes and third - well, it was out of view so I'm not sure. the ambulance came for one guy who stopped on one lap and was unconcious the next. fun and games. and that's the end of my excuses.
anyway - I've done the criterium thing, finished safe and started the ball running - I'll be sticking to hill climbs and non-pan flat road races from now on, perhaps more comfortably in CAT4 where I belong. don't bite of more than you can chew, huh?
