Well, we arrived in Atlanta for the first crit around 6pm. Luckily, we both arrived with all our hair on our head. We always expect traffic but I guess Labor day + rush hour was not our idea of "typical" atlanta traffic. So, after an hour of moving about 2mph, and taking 45 min. to go about 9 miles....we finally made it in one piece. We just don't understand how people can sit in traffic, everyday. I'm sorry, no amount of money would be worth that. I would be so stressed coming home from (and going to) work everyday that I know my health, life with Karel and all extra-curricular activities would suffer. I guess Karel and I will tolerate a monthly trip to ATL for a nice change from flat Florida but we just dread the traffic!!!
Karel's race started at 7pm so after picking up his number he warmed up around the .89 loop course. The race was in an office park which made for a safe, but fast, rolling race.
The field was small but I'm sure it was hard for people to make it to a 7pm crit on a Fri night. However, Karel says a small field means more effort because you always have to respond to attacks and there will always be opportunities to bridge a gap.
There was a 2 man breakaway from the start and then another 4 man break. Karel worked really hard to bridge the gap to the 4-man group and with the help of another Pro 1,2 rider, the chase pack caught the 4-man group. The 2-man breakaway lapped the field with 3 laps to go so at that point, the race went down to 1 lap to go so that the lead guys would not have to do an extra lap. So, with 1 lap to go I had no idea what was going on because Karel was all over the place making the race really interesting. I am ready with my camera for Mr. Sprinter (AKA Karel, thank goodness someone in our relationship has fast-twitch fibers) and I see Karel sprinting to the line...with only 1 other guy. I do the math and figure out that Karel was 4th!
Actually, there is a small chance that Karel might be 3rd because we aren't sure if the guy in front of Karel was one of the 2-man breakaway. If that is true, then that one guy would have won the race (since he lapped the field and he beat Karel to the finish) and the other guy in the 2-man break would have been second. Then that puts KArel in third. However, if that guy who beat Karel to the finish was a guy in the chase pack, then Karel was 4th. Either way....Congrats to Karel for making for a great race after sitting in the car for 7 hours and trying to stay calm in traffic!
I'll post pics this afternoon....off to race #2.
Karel's race started at 7pm so after picking up his number he warmed up around the .89 loop course. The race was in an office park which made for a safe, but fast, rolling race.
The field was small but I'm sure it was hard for people to make it to a 7pm crit on a Fri night. However, Karel says a small field means more effort because you always have to respond to attacks and there will always be opportunities to bridge a gap.
There was a 2 man breakaway from the start and then another 4 man break. Karel worked really hard to bridge the gap to the 4-man group and with the help of another Pro 1,2 rider, the chase pack caught the 4-man group. The 2-man breakaway lapped the field with 3 laps to go so at that point, the race went down to 1 lap to go so that the lead guys would not have to do an extra lap. So, with 1 lap to go I had no idea what was going on because Karel was all over the place making the race really interesting. I am ready with my camera for Mr. Sprinter (AKA Karel, thank goodness someone in our relationship has fast-twitch fibers) and I see Karel sprinting to the line...with only 1 other guy. I do the math and figure out that Karel was 4th!
Actually, there is a small chance that Karel might be 3rd because we aren't sure if the guy in front of Karel was one of the 2-man breakaway. If that is true, then that one guy would have won the race (since he lapped the field and he beat Karel to the finish) and the other guy in the 2-man break would have been second. Then that puts KArel in third. However, if that guy who beat Karel to the finish was a guy in the chase pack, then Karel was 4th. Either way....Congrats to Karel for making for a great race after sitting in the car for 7 hours and trying to stay calm in traffic!
I'll post pics this afternoon....off to race #2.