Day 1 Recap

The road race was set on a relatively gently rolling course, about 1/2 of the course with the wind at our backs and the rest of the time nearly head on. Lap 1, younger riders were already making short breaks on the 15 KM circuit, but none of them were successful. Other riders would try the same but the head winds were so strong that no rider could make it off the front. Lap 1, Edgars and I were still in the front pack, and Mehdi led a group that formed just off the back.

Lap 2, and the group of about 50 riders really started to spread out across the road, throwing caution (and race rules) to the wind and rode on the left side of the road. This led the peleton to stretch out quite a bit, leaving the right side of the road nearly clear at the front and making it relatively easy to zoom back into position if you needed to (and I often did). In general, the racing strategy of the racers was slow down into all the corners, sprint like mad out the other side, back off after about 100 m, zoom down the hills and slow down signigicantly on the short uphills. Edgars went off the front again with a younger rider, I found myself occaisionally at the front and soon to be swallowed up. Mehdi's groupetto continued to hammer around the course which is much more difficult than riding in the main group.

Lap 3 and the pace picked up significantly as riders started to get eager for the finish. Edgars stuck it out at the front and I was about 1/3 back. The final 3 kilometers of the course starts with a slight uphill and then winds quickly down to the finish. I got stuck behind 2 very slow riders and boxed in by the yellow line and the "train" on the final roller and had to scrub nearly 10km/h as the peleton sped towards the final lap. I put my head down for the next 6 km trying to get back on, but to no avail. I eventually grouped together with another rider and we picked up and dropped all the others who could not keep the pace of the peleton. We lost sight of the main peleton and after a short chat the two of us decided to zip up our jerseys to show off our sponsors and ride across the line together rather than contest the 32nd and 33rd position.

Edgars was waiting at the finish line for me, having finished 3rd (after safely navigating the final turn despite the recklessness of another rider on a team with a name that rhymes with Cornellas) and then Mehdi led the final group across the line.