Superweek 2010 - Better late than never?

I've been too busy to sit down and write about my superweek races but i'm finally getting to it albeit almost 2 months late. First of all i would agree with Druber's assessment of Superweek this year. While entry fee's are as expensive as they get around these parts, especially if you don't preregister like me, but things seemed to be run a lot better this year. I did a total of 5 races and i loved every single course. The only course issue was the Willow Springs RR course. It seemed to me it was a bit too dangerous for a weekday morning. There was a lot of traffic in the oncoming lanes and then there was the Fed Ex Truck (more on that later) For the most part races were on schedule and there were good safe courses. Results were timely and it seems that payouts were good(not that i know from personal experience)

Anyway on to the racing. This year for the first time I raced the Masters 35+. I went into Superweek thinking i'd flip back and forth between the Masters and Cat 3 but after the first couple of races i decided to stick with the Masters.

Richton Park Criterium 7.12.10
I spent the most part of this race trying to cover moves and get in a break. Missed the actual break that got away and ended up paying for my efforts at the end. Tried a little move with less that 2 to go but got nowhere and ended up last in the field.

Willow Springs Road Race 7.13.10
This course was a lot of fun. Like i said before it felt pretty dangerous at times with all the oncoming traffic. The craziest bit was when a Fed Ex truck turned onto the course right in front of the 2 man breakaway and they had to swerve into oncoming traffic to avoid the truck. As the field got to turn 1 the truck was sitting there not knowing where to go. Fortunately people guided the truck around the median so it could get off the course but it was a little goofy.

As far as the race i felt good the whole race. Every time up the climb i kept having my cassette slip and couldn't figure out what the deal was. I had just replaced the rear derailer cable so i tried adjusting the tension but it just didn't seem like it was doing anything to help.

Since it seemed that i really didn't have any sprint to mention i figured i would try to get into some sort of move. I realized that on the section before turn 3 i would get a lot of momentum and figured i could try to make a move there. unfortunately for me on the last lap when i was ready to try i let myself get a little too far back and got boxed in and couldn't do it. I ended up following some wheels and being one of the first guys thru turn 1 at the bottom of the hill but i just don't have the jump to hang with these guys in a sprint yet. Finished towards the back of the field again.

Lake Geneva Criterium 7.14.10
Going into this race i was determined to do nothing but sit on wheels and wait for the sprint. I had spent the last 2 days being too excitable and so i decided to try and play it cool and see what would happen if i was fresher for the end. Plus it was in the upper 90's. Then the race started. Again this was a great course but turn 1 seemed a bit tight to me and i decided i wanted the hole shot into turn 1 for the start. When the whistle blew i had one of the fastest clip in's i've ever had and sprinted for turn 1. i made it first and by the time i got thru turn 2 there were 3 of us off the front. That turned into a 10 lap breakaway to start the race.

After we were brought back i was trashed for a while and at times was just hanging on for dear life at the back. Sometime during this point a move went off the front and the field was left fighting for 6th or 7th place. I actually recovered enough to try to shed the field with a couple of laps to go but was not successful. Finished in the field.

Whitnall Park RR 7.19.10
For real this time i was not going to do too much too early. And this time I actually stuck to it. Finally on the last lap i got off the front with a couple others and thought we just might stick it but it didn't pan out. Finished again at the back of the field.

South Milwaukee Road Race 7.20.10
This was a new course and i loved it. A couple little hills, nice sections thru a park, and a downtown start/finish. Again this time i told myself i would be a good boy and conserve for the end. This time i truly did but confirmed that i don't have a sprint this year. I got myself about 6th wheel thru the last turn before the 300m sprint to the line. I ended up in the low 20's. Some of it was positioning as i got stuck behind a couple guys but i still wasn't passing many myself.

When everything was all said and done i was actually very pleased with my 2010 superweek. I had gotten myself in the best shape that i had been in since high school and felt like i proved to myself that i could race with the Masters. I not going to be winning these anytime soon but this was going to be a great building block for the races in august and i learned a lot as well.