Carolina Masters Cycling

[JrMasterChris]

Is there anything better in bike racing than winning the State Championship at your home race against people older than you? The weekend started out with a not so good finish for me, 10th, but almost holding a break away against junior guys that were mostly Cat 3 and 4 I knew I could make it against people in Cat 5. I really wanted to do well in this race so I could move up to Cat 4 with a lot of the other Carolina Masters. The first lap of the race I figured I would just sit in and not do anything. While in the back, the pack allowed a 1 minute break away by a single man, the one I worked with later on in the race. We get to the feed zone and Austin tells me to get up front. I knew that with only 2 laps to go I was fine because I had already raced that distance the day before. Up front me and four others worked and pulled the guy back in. The rest of the lap was brake, go, brake, go, as usual in the Cat 5 races. At the feed zone going into the last lap, I had enough drink so I went up and got behind some guys that wanted to break away. We got them to slow up and wait for the rest of the field. After the bridge at Hwy 85, 3 of us pulled away from the group without even trying. Luckily one of the guys up with me was Adam Vick, who I have known for a while. The three of us worked for a little then I just pulled away from them right before Long Street. Then the guy who had broken away before bridged up and caught me. That is when we took off. Our gap at highest was 51 seconds. We had 45 seconds going up the hill to the feed zone. At the beginning of the road to the finish line we kind of slowed up and were only doing 20-21 mph. Then the motorcycle official came up and said they were only 23 seconds behind. It was scary to turn around and see the whole group coming at you when you have been away for 12 miles and only have about one left. When I turned back around, the guy I had been working with had taken off. He got a good gap on me, but he had gone too soon. I kept gaining on him till when the road opened up and that’s when I got on his wheel. I felt like I do when I’m on a group ride trying to beat Zorda, but in this sprint I actually won. I don’t know what makes a fifteen year old boy be able to beat a group of men. It could have been Charlie Brown’s old bike (it was already a proven winner) or it may have been Jerry’s hotdogs and hamburgers that helped me win. Hopefully I can keep it up as a Cat 4.