LAVRA Friday night track series & Redlands Classic Criterium

Photo credit to Steve Cohen

Date: 4/8 & 4/10
Races: LAVRA Friday night track series & Redlands Classic Criterium
Categories: women open & women 1/2/3
Rider: Colleen
Results: 4th & 8th

April racing started on Friday night at the track. The three race track omnium consisted of a miss and out, 50 lap points race and snowball. A good size women's field kept the racing entertaining and fast paced. I earned a 3rd, 4th and 3rd respectively to place 4th in the overall omnium.
Eventful would be an understatement for the Redlands Criterium on Sunday. The course was just over 0.6 miles and 6 turns with a sharp cut back in the last turn,about 100 m from the finish line. It had been raining in SoCal all week... Thanks El Niño... But luckily it dried up only a few hours before our start time. The 50 minute Crit was fast and went from the gun. The attacks were constant and two riders wound up getting away about half way through the race. A few teams coordinated to close the gap but with tight corners the breakaway could get through the course much faster than our sizeable pack. With only 7 laps to go I flatted on the back half of the course. I cut through the course to neutral support but the wheel flatted quickly so when I started to ride on the rim I got off and ran to the pit. They threw me back in to the field but I didn't have time to check the shifting on the neutral wheel... I couldn't shift any higher than my 14 cog. Ugh. Adding to the excitement was a crash with 5 to go which I narrowly avoided by locking up the brakes on neutral support's wheel. 😕 the field sprint finally came around and I pulled off a 6th in the sprint... Earning me 8th overall after an excitement filled race. As always, thank you to our amazing sponsors for helping me race week in and week out. Next up is a race in lots Angeles on Sunday. ​

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