2023 Littleton Twilight Crit (Cat 4), as Seen on Norcal Cycling
I assume most American crit racers are, at this point, familiar with the Norcal Cycling YouTube channel. Jeff breaks down his races (as well as user-submitted footage) and analyzes what went well / poorly.
Well… I submitted some footage, and he ended up making a video out of it titled “The FASTEST Cat 4/5 Amateurs I’ve Ever Seen”, which is a huge ego boost (the thumbnail even includes “SANDBAGGERS!?”).
I figured it’d be fun to analyze his analysis (or at least defend myself a little bit!) and see the race breakdown from my original race report as well.
Norcal Thoughts
- “That’s a lot of Rs going on :)”
- That start was absolutely fucking painful
- This is just normal CO 4s fitness lmao :)
- It’s all just CO hitters, people aren’t visiting for this.
- “Settles down” my guy it’s 75% through the race and it’s the first time it’s slowed up!
- Rain was a bit scary but didn’t end up being an issue!
- “Not holding a wheel” I was tailgunning a bit haha, it’d always slow into turns 1 and 2
- He’s right that I should prob not take the outside line - I was trying to hold speed and not brake, but I lose the wheel as a result
- That 2 lap to go attack fucking hurt, bad timing. BJC kid did indeed chop my front wheel (juniors, amiright?), somehow managed to keep it upright.
- Burned everything to get up to the break like he said.
- EVERYONE SAT UP!!!! ASDFGGGHHH!
- We grouped back together going into the final lap
- Expected Lane in bright yellow to close up that gap and took me way too long to realize he was cracked
- Absolutely painful for 90% of the race… but still happy to hang in there and pick up a top 10 pack footage
Thanks again to Jeff & Will for reviewing!
Original race report
9/53! Consistently finding my way to the front at the end of the race, which is phenomenal progress from last year when I was getting dropped most races.
This was basically single file strung out for 90% of the race, absolutely rough. And when it would slow down, it would swarm and go like 4 wide into corners that didn’t really have room for 4 cat 4 riders (maybe p12 could squeeze better).
I mostly tried to sit in and draft, focus on really hitting corners & using those to move up a wheel or two if I could.
At one point accidentally scared the shit out of someone moving up the right side, the gap was very much there but I think he shifted to his right right as I got there and he jerked a bit. Whoops!
With like… 3? to go, there was a gap opening up after like 5-6 riders coming across the finish line, I went to jump around rider 7 losing the wheel & a junior also jumped around me, chopped my fucking wheel swerving right like 10 feet before he actually cleared my wheel. Managed to keep it up SOMEHOW (seriously surprised).
Barely made it up to that lead group and of fucking course they’re tired and sit up. I had no legs or I would have tried to come around to the front and keep it away, but we kind of sit in and then the pack catches us around 1 to go? Honestly kind of a blur, the video will show more.
Last lap gaps are opening like crazy as we start railing it, trying to hold the wheels without getting swarmed. Gap opens up a rider in front of me halfway up the road but I figured the junior rider (who’s been cleaning up the weeknight crits) would be able to close it back together. Takes like 10s through the corner for me to realize he doesn’t have the legs & I jump around him, but it’s too late and that group is gone. Sprint with what I’ve got and manage to hold where I was for 9th, but not enough to come around anyone (close though).