OKC Pro-Am Classic Race Recap
OKC Pro-Am Classic is a three day crit weekend the week before Tulsa Tough so people are always trying to test things out for the big weekend ahead. The course on Friday was a 4 corner course (category 2/3) with a slight climb and descent. It was super fast from the gun and long story short I lasted only about 20 minutes, due to messing around with saddle choice the day before the race. I was fairly disappointed because I know that’s not above my ability to hang with those guys, but stuff happens and I was ready to bounce back in the coming races… After changing that saddle height back to what I’m used to of course.
Saturday was an 8 corner course also with a notable climb, a new course for this years OKC Pro-Am Classic. This and the Sunday’s race where category 3 only. Our race started just as the rain was ending so the first lap or so was fairly sketchy with a few folks slipping wheels. So on the second lap I attacked and soloed for somewhere around 4-5 laps and got caught just after the roads started drying up. At the end the group was together and I was on the front (not the place to be) with 4 corners to go and two guys accelerated past me on the hill. I was able to match the acceleration to put me in third wheel, then a flyer came by with two corners to go. I was able to maintain my position finishing 4th.
Sunday was an 8 corner course that was pancake flat and super fast. The pace was quick the whole time and it wasn’t easy to move up on this course so I stayed top 10 pretty much the whole race. With 10 to go I was in a small unsuccessful and frustratingly race losing breakaway, we where caught with 8 to go and right then there was a huge counter attack of 6 riders getting up the road so I did the best I could to chase them but it didn’t work. With 2 laps to go I was pretty gassed and my teammate Jake knew that’s when I originally was planning to make a move, I couldn’t do it at the time, so he attacked, forcing 2 riders in front of me to chase, during this chase we caught two riders who where dropped from the breakaway so chances to podium looked okay, as we caught Jake I was 3rd wheel in the group with 2 corners left and I was ready to pounce for the final placement. So I dove in on the last two corners at full speed taking the field sprint for 5th place. I learned a lot of lessons about wasting energy in pointless moves early in the race and will definitely be hanging out in the back a bit more in the future. Despite the bad initial race on Friday I had a great weekend with Breakaway Cycling Team. I’d like to thank our sponsors, O-Cedar, Custom Electronics, Joys of Swimming, The Bike Route, Speed Hound Endurance.
[Photo Biff Stephens]
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