I can't Sprint!

Race name: 2009 ACA Summer Criterium Series

Date and start time: 06/23/2009; 07:00 pm

Location: Washington Blvd Cycling Oval, Pittsburgh

Type/distance: 0.5 mile banked Cycling Oval; 35 laps in total

Competitors to watch: Samspon (Prographic team)

Weather: 75 degF, hot and humid

Course condition: good

Race goal: Get placing

Race strategy: Save energy until the last 3 laps

Pre-race meal:
1300 - 1 Pop-tart (210 kcal)
1400 - 1 Swiss Miss hot cocoa (120 kcal)
1500 - 1 Pop-tart (210 kcal)
1700 - 4 Hammer gels (360 kcal) and 1 bottle of Cytomax (180 kcal)

Mid-race meal :
A couple of sip of water

Warm-up description:
8 min Tempo (2 min Recovery)
2X 2 min Power Interval (2 min Recovery)
30 sec Speed Interval
Endurance Miles for the rest of the time
Total 1 hour

Start-line arousal level(1-5): 5

Results: Finished in last one-third

Power files start/end point: 1'01"59/1'41"58

What I did well:
1. Followed my recommendation from last race

What I need to improve:
1. Timing for sprint
2. Sprint power - I think I haven't been doing this training for a while
3. Cornering

Aches/pains/problems afterwards:
None

Comments on or description of how race developed:
I started at the front again, but this time, I made an effort to hold back on the last neutral lap, and drifted back to the third position.

I positioned well until half-way through the race, and I was actually in the 2nd position for the 2nd prime until the last 100 feet. I decided to hunt for the prime, but someone started the sprint a second ahead of me. When I tried to follow him, I almost caused a cramp in my left leg.

After this, I slowed down and my goal for the rest of the race was to keep my left leg from cramping. As I stayed closer to the back of the field, I noticed how much easier it was than staying at the front. Perhaps I should do that a bit more often.

Because of my leg problem, I made a couple of steering error and scared the people behind me. At the third corner in one of the last few laps, I was behind someone and got too close, so I had to move to the outside lane. As I did so, I got yelled at by a marshal to hold the line. I guess that was becuase I moved too far out but not because of the maneuver itself.

I tried to advance to the front at the last three laps, but I went too forward when there's one lap to go, and didn't have the energy to jockey for positon. I finished in the last one-third.

Drew and Samson tried to broke away during the race but didn't succeed. They thought it was because they went too hard at the outbound section but not hard enough at the inbound section. Also, one of the experienced rider said the best place to initiate a breakaway and advance shoud be at the inbound section, or right after the 4th corner. Becuase of the small "hump" at this part of the course, most people slow down, and thus provide a better opportunity to attack or advance.

I think I need to learn from people who placed well in the last few races, especially in terms of finding a good position in the race. Here is a list of the people and ways to recognize them:
Kevin - my racing partner in Ft Cherry race. He did quite well in this race, given that this was his first criterium. I think he got 15th.
John - he wears a blue Tour of PA jersey
Samson - he wears a ProGraphics jersey and a LG red helmet