CSC Invitational.

I was very nervous the entire week before.

I had a bad crash the first time I did the race two years ago. It was pretty obvious I was not up to par with whom I was racing. I decided to make a grand exit and run into the barriers, catching a ride home in the ambulance.

I only live a few miles from the course, so I decided to watch the 1/2/3 race and then go home and relax. I get a lot better warm-up on the trainer so I rode for 40 minutes and then rode to the start.

I managed to get around the outside at the start and had a pretty good position in the middle of the pack. Starting at the pack in a race like this is a good way to end your day early. After getting blown out of Ricola Twilight, earlier in the week after just six laps, I wanted a good staring position.

After a quick run down of the star spangled by Miss Arlington the race started.

There were some pretty big names in the race. Magnus Backstedt...Servis Knaven, Slipstream, High Road, some of the boys from CSC.
A break of 13 got up the road pretty quickly and from what I can tell it was pretty much the entire front line at the start. Russ Langley was in there and the entire break ended up lapping the field.

I felt pretty comfortable in the corners and managed to hold my position pretty well the entire day. I didn't touch the front the entire day but who was I kidding I was just trying to finish.

I think the pace was a little slower than past years due to the break. There also weren't as many crashes, which was good.

During the race I just tried to focus on following wheels into the corner and try and not let any gaps go. I also tried to stay seated after as many corners as I could to try and save all the energy I could.

About 10 laps to go and I started cramping but it was nothing I couldn't massage out.

Magnus cramped out of the field after lapping it but not before I heard him tell every one of his teammates to tell whoever it was talking to them, through the microphones, to shut up or he was going to punch him in the face after the race. He was heated.

From 10 to go it just got faster and faster. I think I did pretty good holding wheels but with 1 to go just about everyone in front of me who wasn't in the top 20 sat up. I got back on to the group but it was all I had. I heard the crash in the last corner and as I went through it I saw Russ on the ground. Sucked. Russ ended up 13th after Magnus passed him, rounding out the break that lapped the field.

I sprinted to the line for 26th. It was a great day and I am excited at how well not only I did but how well the team did.