Spin City Race Weekend

This past weekend was the Spin City Crit and Circuit Race. I had a knee problem over the last month and had only been training consistently for two weeks before this race, so I had no clue how I would go. I thought the crit would be pretty easy. It has always been a fast race that comes down to a field sprint in the past. This course is about one k long and fast with 4 90 degree corners. The last turn is around 300 meters from the line. This year a break of about six riders went rather early. The break consisted of Bobby Sweeting, Ivan Franco (AEG-Toshiba-JetNetwork), Grant Potter (Potter's/Bike America), Phil Gaimon (Sakonnet), Rudy Robaina (Cycle Science), and John Durango. They were rolling it pretty hard. The gap dangled at between 15" to 30" throughout the race. Joel Chavez's Preferred Alliance team missed the move and tried a very disorganized chase for most of the race. In the last five laps they seemed to get everything together and all the break but Ivan Franco was reeled back in with two laps to go. Ivan was brought back on the last lap and the field was motoring. I entered the last lap in 4th position and thought I was sitting pretty for the win. I started my sprint about 200 meters out and couldn't come over anyone. I got passed by a few guys near the line and came in seventh. I was a little disappointed that I couldn't turn a gear I usually could, but I was happy that I could still position myself well. I guess the lack of finishing speed is from not racing for a while. It should come back soon.
Sunday was a 90 k circuit race on a 3.5 k course near the Orlando Airport. It is always windy out there and few people ever finish the race. The race was 25 laps this year making it around 90 k long. There were attacks from the gun but they always seemed to be brought back within a lap or two. About 8 laps in I thought it was getting tough, so I decided to initiate some moves myself. I put in a few good moves but got nowhere. After a few laps I started to pay the price of my injuries and lack of racing and blew up. I went from off the front in a group to off the back in less than a lap, so my race was over prematurely. In the last five laps or so a few moves got away for good. Joel Chavez came in solo for the win. Then there was a group of five. Ivan Franco was the best placed rider on our team coming in for seventh. It was a decent weekend for the team and I was happy just to resume racing again. This weekend there is a race in Perry, GA that I am doing. I am looking forward to it with another good week of training behind me.

San Antonio Road Race/ Dade City Crit Weekend

This past Saturday was the San Antonio road race. The Aerospace Engineering Group (AEG)- Toshiba- JetNetwork Pro Cycling Team fielded a strong team of nine riders for the race (Chris Frederick, Bobby Sweeting, Yosvany Falcon, Ivan Franco, Joe Fernandez, Nelson Garcia, Alex Gutierrez, Gabriel Larrea, and myself Winston David). The race was 85 miles long on a 17 mile hilly circuit (5 laps) and was destined to be tough. I was pretty confident going into the race even though I got food poisoning in Belize last weekend. I recovered last week and got in some good training at home also. The race started with attacks from the beginning on the first few rollers. I got myself toward the front of the group to cover some moves. About ten miles in a or six man group got away that included Bobby. This group would be the front group for most of the day. During the next two laps the rest of the team followed any dangerous attacks and Ivan told me to follow Kyle Wamsley (Navigators Insurance) because he is a strong rider and would want to get to the front. A few miles from the start/finish line on the third lap the race got hard and Yosvany, Ivan, and Chris all got in moves that bridged up to Bobby's break. I was up toward the front but managed to miss all of these. For the next lap I just sat in the pack following moves here and there but mostly thinking the race was over for me. Then the race officials told us that the break was disintegrating up the road and we still had a chance. At this news Wamsley went with two other guys and I just watched it go. Then I thought if he caught the front group and I wasn't with him I'd be disappointed at the end. I noticed everyone in the field was tired, so I put in a good effort on one of the hills and bridged up to the three guys. I just sat on when I got there because I already had four teammates up the road and had no reason to work. We caught the second group on the road with about three miles to go. Chris told me that Ivan and Yosvany were up the road with Josh Thorton (Kodak- Gallery/ Sierra Nevada) and Joel Chavez (Preferred Alliance). Ivan was cramping torwards the end he said and came in for third. Yosvany was dangling off the back of Ivan's group and got fourth. Josh Thorton won the race and Joel was second. My group seemed to be not so aggressive and just waiting for the sprint for fifth place. I just waited and waited toward the front of the group and went with probably 300 meeters to go which was a little early considering the headwind. I got passed by a lot of people and came in 15th. Bobby and Chris were both in front of me. It was a pretty good day considering the team got 5 guys in the top 15.Sunday was the Dade City crit. It is about a 1k course with six that is shaped like an L. From the start/ finish line there are three right hand turns, a left, and two more rights. Between turns one and two there are bricks, and there is a slight rise between turns two and three. It is a tough technical course. The AEG-Toshiba-JetNetwork Pro Cycling Team fielded seven riders at this race(Bobby Sweeting, Chris Frederick, Gabriel Larrea, Nelson Garcia, Yosvany Falcon, Ivan Franco, and myself Winston David). Joe broke his crank early in the road race on Saturday, and Alex had to go home. The race was 80 minutes plus five laps. This race was fast from the gun, and I had a bad start position. By the time I got to the front which was about three laps in, the break of six riders had already gone up the road. The move was good for our team because we had Bobby and Chris in it. The other riders in the break were Josh Thorton (Kodak Gallery/ Sierra Nevada), Chris Scott (Locos), Rudy Robaina (Cycle Science), and Joel Chavez (Preferred Alliance). These guys quickly built a lead of thirty seconds on the peloton. Attacks were coming every lap and Yosvany, Ivan, and I were covering all of them. The break lapped the field about forty minutes in. Ivan and I immediately went to the front to set a fast pace for the group so attacks wouldn't come. It was a very tough forty minutes for me, but I knew that Chris could sprint better than all the other guys in the break and he would come through with the win. With about three laps to go I couldn't really stay toward the front because the pace was getting faster for the sprint. Ivan was drilling it at the front. Bobby was behind me and wanted me to drag him to the front, so he could get a good placement. For the next two laps I sat in the wind trying to help Bobby to the front. With about one lap to go we were in about sixth and seventh position. I gave it everything I had and then some on the last lap until the last turn for him. Then I thought I was in a decent place, so I might as well sprint too. I came in thirteenth and Bobby was somewhere around me for fourth. While I was doing all that work on the last lap Yosvany was lighting it up at the front for Chris to get the win. When I came across the line I saw Chris with his arms in the air and knew I did my job well. It brings me great excitement to work so hard for my team and for them to deliver. I think this is the beginning of a very good year for the AEG-Toshiba-JetNetwork Pro Cycling Team.

Dan's Bring It On Pracetice Crit

Today my AEG-Toshiba-Jetnetwork teammate Bobby Sweeting and I took part in a practice crit in Alachua, FL. The course is D shaped and a mile long with the two 90 degree turns coming toward the end. The pro,1,2,3 race did 25 laps. The race was intense with attacks from the gun. You really wouldn't have thought it was just a practice race. About 5 laps in a group of about 15 riders got away, including Bobby and myself. There were alot of attacks and small breaks that came and went. Bobby and I covered it all. Nothing could stick because everyone in that group wanted to win the race. Then with about 3 laps to go this Raul, a Belgian rider attacked and Bobby went with him. They stayed about ten seconds off the front of the group. No one really wanted to chase too hard. Then with half a lap to go James Sweeny jumped hard and I was on it. I followed him to the last turn. We were right on Bobby and Raul. I was cramping and in lots of pain by now. I jumped to sprint from the last turn and passed everyone but Bobby. It was a sweet race because Bobby and I took first and second place. It is the best possible scenario. I am also pleased with my current form considering it is early in the year.