The CAT 4 race started out more moderately than last year's CAT 5 field; though I later learned from strava that the race was actually quicker on the first lap than it was the year before.
I had a good race. I sat in for several laps, reacted when I needed to, and tried to be smart and stay in the fastest, yet easiest, position I could. I was very, very unsure of my fitness. I was in tenth place coming into the penultimate climb of the wall. At that point two guys got away. I worked briefly with another rider to catch them, but that was initially to no avail. On the Chambers road climb though, I made a move, dropping one guy and catching another. At this point I was going to be no worse than 7th.
Here is where I have evolved a bit: I normally would have attacked on the wall, assuming I couldn't outsprint someone. Instead I let him attack and just kept my heart rate down and caught him on the false flat at the top. I went for it. But he covered my move. Then, curiously, he tried to take off. We weaved back and forth, him trying to take off, me trying to stay on. Coming into the final turn, I passed him so I could take the fast line and just went at it, edging him at the line for 6th! In a 19 man CAT 4 field, I was sort of hoping to maybe be close to top ten, so placing sixth was pretty exciting for me. I got an upgrade point, I believe, and just missed the payout.
Andrew won his race, so congrats to him. Battenkill next weekend. State assessment tests at work this week for my students. Today, dealing with a little guy with the stomach bug. The life of an amateur cyclist!
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