My team mates and I chose to start right on the line. This is always the place to start in a crit. You certainly don't want to wait for the other girls to clip-in in front of you. By that time the front of the pack is already at the first corner and you start the race sprinting to catch up. Energy conservation is important. This is also why you should stay in the mid to front of the pack so that you have some draft,saving some watts for the finishing sprint. Being in the front also means you don't have to keep braking, then sprinting out of the corners to catch up with the pack. Not to mention that the back of the pack can be dangerous -where the pack gets squeezed together coming through the corners and where the sketchier riders hang out.
The race was ridiculously hard because of the exteme heat -temperatures reading 110• F in the shade. My strategy was the obvious: stay hydrated and dowsing myself with water before and through out the race. For hydration I drink Skratch Labs Hydration Mix, a drink with electrolytes and sodium. As for water, I didn't bring nearly enough for the race.
Normally for crits, I bring only a half a bottle of water since there is no time to drink anyways what with all the accelerations and cornering. This race I decided to bring one generously full bottle of water. However mid race I started feeling signs of heat exhaustion: pounding head ache, nausea, slow thinking, and chills. I desperately used small amounts of water to dowse my burning legs and chest. Lesson learned: bring at least two bottles of ice water when the water is above 100.
My strategy for this race was simple: win. Since the race is on my home turf and Lodi Cyclefest is put on my very own team, I wanted to clean up. Plus, I owe it to my team sponsors to do well.
As it turns out, sitting in the front to mid pack and waiting to sprint at just the right moment payed off. I have often made the amateur mistake of sprinting much too early. This race was not the case. I sat behind several girls around the final turn coming out about 10th wheel out of the turn. In the final straight away I stayed sitting in my drops trying to be as aero as possible to save energy. Turns out a saved a bit too much energy and could have started sprinting slightly earlier. All in all though I am happy with my results.
In the final stretch I sprinted through the 5 women who had started their sprint too early. This led me to take fifth overall in the category 3/4 race and win first place in category 4! As it turns out, I need only one more point to cat up to women's Category 3 racing. I will be very excited to join the ranks of cat 3 racers soon!