It IS a team sport!

We all know by watching the Tour that road cycling is a team sport but in Cat 5 crits it rarely seems to matter as these races are usually an "every-man-for-themselves" affair. Am happy to say that today at the New Britain crit, fellow Targetraining rider Michael Ruiz and I worked well together to postion him for a final sprint.

The race started like most other cat 5 crits with the group sticking closely together. I attacked with 10 to go, leading for about 2 laps but sitting up to rejoin the peleton when I had not opened any type of useful gap. After a short recovery we had 5 laps to go. I now found myself right beside Michael when he motioned for me to join him on an attack. I jumped ahead with him right behind me. We opened up a small gap when he took the lead with me following to try and sustain it. Unfortunately we did not get away but as we rode by the start/finish line I could hear the announcer commenting on the attempted break by the "Targetraining boys."

We took a few laps to recover but as we came across the line for the bell lap, I attacked one more time, telling him to gab my wheel as I rode past. I led him out for about 3/4 of a lap but this being my third attack of the day, there was not much left. I dropped him off just before turn 4, now in the lead and with the opportunity to sprint it out for the win. I watched him round the final turn still in first but as the final 200 meters came I saw that he was over taken and came 4th.

When I sat up and moved out of the way I felt just a little bit like Mark Renshaw or Yaroslav Popovich or some of the other domestiques we are all watching on tv right now. The unsung heros that make road cycling a team sport. It was the best 19th place I've had and the most fun I have had racing since I started.

I hope we get another chance to do it again!