Long weekend

Well folks, this evening finishes another weekend of racing, the whole racing on Monday thing is going to take some getting used to. To summarize, yesterday I was told I was going to go and race a crit, sweet! a crit, American boy knows how to ride those no worries. Haha is what someone is doing right now, I am sure. Its a 3 kilometer course, with 4 separate roundabouts on straightaways, one set of 3 roundabouts linked together with about 9 different ways to go through it and still be on course and 2 of the other straightaways have these large 4 foot cement poles running down middle of road, as we get to race full road. We only get to do 40 laps of said course, which is enough but it is essentially doubling any crit race I have ever done. Needless to say, after about wreck 15 or so, I am thinking what the hell. People here do not fully understand the idea of chilling out and taking a few less risks. After getting caught up and hitting deck, I did what everyone in America knows, roll up shorts and roll to the finish to get your lap. Once again Hahah is what someone is doing. Free lap, what for stupid American? is what I am told and to get a hurry on, race is up road. So that about sums up yesterday, tried to stay upright, big emphasis on try over here and rolled in with peloton as even more wrecks trying for final sprint.

Today was supposed to be a bit more straightforward. 17 km circuit done 7 times. there were 3 major hills, about a mile long and this made 21 serious climbs on the day. For the Boise folks, think of just doing 7 dump loops without the flatness of Hill road and more climbs. Felt so so on the day, never awesome thats for sure and never horrid, until the finish. I never saw the front of the race today, nor did I get to see my feeder. Through some awesome mis communication I was told car would be in caravan, but it ended up not being there, and I raced with what I had on bike. With about a half hour to go, the lights went out and it was everything I could do to finish with peloton.

Once again though, racing on little one land roads with god knows how many number of traffic islands and whatnot. Just trying to think here, I can vividly remember 8 turns today full of gravel which makes 42 turns really. And once again, tons of wrecks, not trying to whine but god damn they do not understand the concept of at least cleaning up a turn for a bit of safety. Someone told me that they do not turn off the wind nor do they take away hills, the extra danger is just another obstacle. Now I really do appreciate the rider protest at the Giro last year. Hoping to get my legs back under me in next few days to go back out and ride way outside my comfort zone.