Atomic Road Race

Result: Junior: 1st (placed 9th overall in the cat. 3)

I started the race in between the first ten riders. Right off the bat there was attaching from the Organic Athlete club. One of them attached three times in the first and second lap. Didn't last very long and I didn't know why he would even try because he was quit heavy and was slow on the hills.

The course had almost as much downhill as uphill, but the hills where long, and the last one was quit tuff on the final lap. I stayed around 10th place throughout the course, but moved up on the hills because I am good at climbing. Half way through the race two riders broke away but was captured three laps later. Then on the second to last lap, two broke off, and the rider in front of me didn't go. I decided to try and catch them myself, so I sprinted for about 30 seconds and rode hard on my own for a bit over 1 minute. I couldn't catch them because I waited to long, and made the choice of not wasting any more energy to catch the breakaway. I waited till the group caught up with me and eventually we did end up catching them. On the course the final hill before the finish is a long and fairly steep. When the group and I reached to final hill on the last lap, it was everyone for them self. Unfortunately the guy in front was slow and riders on both sides raced past me. I had wait till they past and just sprint as hard as I could to get in front, up the hill. About 300 meters to the finish I just gave it everything I had left in me and past about five people and won the junior and placed 9th overall in the cat. 3. Overall it was a really fun course and I am happy with the outcome.

Marcel Aarden

Westside Cycling Classic race. June 19/05

Result Cat 3: 6th

Race Description: This ended up becoming a race of attrition if there was a junior cat. I would of won, all other juniors did not finish. The course had a very long hill with a steep section in the middle. Then after a small down hill, with a S curved turn there was another long gradual hill to the finish line. The road condition was quit bad, there was many holes and indents throughout most of the course. Around halfway through there were some serious attacks. I mostly stayed within the top ten riders. One cyclist broke away when there was two laps to go, unfortunately I did not notice this and we never caught up with him. On the final lap there were only fourteen racers left from the thirty-five. Last lap went fairly slow until about 600 meters to the finish. I was at the front with another racer beside me. I did not want to be right at the front, but I decided to stay there, and sprint once the first racer has jumped. One racer jumped around 300 meters from the finish and that was it. Everyone followed including myself, I sprinted as hard as I possibly could right to the finish. The sprint was extremely hard since we sprinted up two inclines. I finished 6th and was the only junior to finish as well.

Best course I have done so far.

Marcel Aarden