Dinuba Criterium & Weekend Recap

First off, the Yahoo! Cycling Team's race reports have been posted on the site. If you want the official rundown that's where to get it. Velo Promo has been incredible about promptly posting race results this year. I'm completely impressed. You can already get results online for Cantua Creek, Pine Flat, and Dinuba. I'd like to say a huge thanks to Bob and Co. at Velo Promo and all the officials who put on three stellar races this weekend. Velo Promo races may not always have that NRC glitz and glamour, but there are dozens and dozens of them every season. There aren't a lot of places in the US where you can race two new courses every weekend. Those guys (and gals) do a hell of a job and NorCal cycling owes them a huge debt.

The Dinuba Criterium on Monday was another chance for the team to come together and work on our timing and leadouts. Tyler and I rode our TT bikes down to the race so we were a bit cooked, but not too worried about hurting the Y!CT's chances. We again had roughly half the field and I'm only surprised that the other racers were so cool with it.

I once did the Idaho State Road Race Championships in Melba, ID and it was a 12 man field with six riders from the regional powerhouse, Bob's Bicycles. It was, perhaps, the most terrible experience I've ever had on a bike. They attacked the hell out of me, and I flatted while mounting a solo chase with a Bob's guy glued to my wheel. He thought I was trying to trick him somehow and slowed down to a crawl with me until he could see my tire was dead flat, and then sprinted away instead of offering any help. I sat on the side of the road for 45 minutes in triple digit heat with no shade, unable to drink any water due to a recent e. coli outbreak. Finally a truckload of migrant workers let me hitch a ride back to the start. Needless to say I'm never going back to Melba, and I don't fancy doing any races where the strongest team has half the field. So sure, I feel a small twinge of guilt to be on the other side of things, but we're not the first to use these races for training. It wasn't mean-spirited, but I can see how it could be frustrating.

Which is why everyone's positive attitude was so welcome. Here I have to give props to the guys from Chico Corsa. Mike, Michael and Alex were out for all the races this weekend and despite the long odds against them they were throwing down attacks, working the breaks and chasing stuff until it looked as though they'd puke on their top tubes. The guys have heart, and if they keep displaying that kind of temerity and perseverance then results are sure to follow.

There was one guy who was not so happy with the situation. I'm not going to name names, but this chap decided he was going to to slam his way into our leadout train even though five of our riders had already lapped the field. Sure, it was still a bike race, a point he made at the top of his lungs while trading elbows with Kevin, but if you really wanted to race your bike why not do it as the podium spots are all rolling up the road? We did manage to set up a pretty good train. The Dinuba Crit could very well be the last time we line up a 12 man leadout, but it was a pretty slick thing to see.

Everything really came together for a stellar trip. We had superb host housing (that's our host Shana with Nacho), great weather and fun courses. I was a bit worried about racing so soon, but the races turned out to be more like a second training camp and I think I sneaked in a lot of quality miles. We were dog tired driving home, but somehow made it back in one piece, and not even the throngs of housemates and neighbors watching and cheering the Olympics in "my" room could keep me awake. I fell sound asleep surrounded by all of it. The three day forecast is for 70 degree, sunny days and I can't wait to peel off the arm warmers and go enjoy this extended early taste of spring.