We’ve got a quick update for you guys while we’re still looking out for the report from the Perry Roubaix which took place the previous weekend. Alas, the early bird gets the worm, so here’s a quick update from the guys.
Benjy Coil, Matt McCarthy, and Wes Parrish lined up with about 75 other riders for the 75 minute Pro/1/2 criterium at the Union City Georgia Cup this past weekend.
In staying in accord with the norm in Georgia, some really heavyweight talent showed up for this race, despite it being in a mall parking lot! With the field filled with a heavy roster from such teams as Mountain Khaki’s p/b Jittery Joe’s, Team Type 1, Team Ion-United Healthcare and Aerocat, we knew that the racing would start off fast and furious from the gun. And that it did!
We all had a great start near the front of the race. Since there were only 3 of us, we decided to race a little more conservatively and let the other, larger teams do more of the work. After following a few unsuccessful attacks in the first 15 minutes, we decided to sit back and wait for the sprint, with Wes and Matt working on the best position possible for Benjy to unleash his evergreen abilities.
With about 20 minutes to go, a group of 8 managed to sneak away and build up a small gap. Being that all the major teams were represented, this looked to be the deciding move, as well as an opportune moment for us to shift the weight from our heels to our toes. A few smaller groups tried to get away, but nothing could make it across with these teams controlling the field. The last 3 laps were a little crazy with all the jostling for position, but Benjy and Wes went into the last lap with good position, but got swarmed going into turn 3. Hoping for one last shot, Benjy tore out of the pack with 1.5 laps to go, while Wes and Matt patrolled the front as best they could. Unfortunately, everything came back together with just one corner remaining. We all managed to finish mid-pack, which is good for the morale considering that we were aggressive and worked to be a part of the race, not just in the race. It was a tough tough day, but we’re happy with the solid training it provided going into the big races in April and May.
As always, thanks a ton for reading and thanks for your support!