I did the Bastion Square Crit, on May 28th. I love this race, and I look forward to it every year!

It's a highlight of my racing, because, for starters, this was the first race I had ever done in my life. I had always watched it, because I didn't know that there was an Unlicensed Riders category. So, when I found out I could enter it, I jumped at the chance to try it, and I got hooked onto racing!

I didn't even have a proper bike-it didn't have the proper gear-and I was really out of shape, back then.

Anyway, to jump 8 years to the present. The morning was a little bit cool, but fortunately the race course was dry, as that can be a treacherous course, because of all the man hole covers right in the lines you want to take in the corners.

When I was riding around the course to get warmed up, and to get familiar with the corners-especially the infamous CRASH CORNER!!

Crash Corner, is at the bottom of Yates and Wharf St. There is a small island on one side, and the sidewalk on the other side, and because of  your speed coming down Yates, you tend to go wide as you go onto Wharf St.

As a result of  your speed coming down Yates St., and the  centrifugal force, you end up going way wide on Wharf St. In front of the Hotel on Wharf St, they have steel barricades with bales of  insulation in front of the sidewalk, and on the telephone poles.

There was about 20 of  us in the Category 5 race -the first one of  the day.

I was able to stay with the pack for the first few laps(25 laps althogether), but unfortunately I just wasn't able to stay with them all the way through.

All crits are hard, especially this one, because you are having to speed up, slow down constantly, plus, there is the hill at the bottom of  Fort St.-it doesn't look like much when you are standing on the sidewalk, but after just a few laps, that hill starts to bite!

There was one rider I tried working with(take turns pulling and sitting in)but every time I came out to do my turn at the front, he just couldn't hang on. So, I ended up riding on my own again.

I managed to stay on the course for about 20 laps, then the Lead Motto-who was counting the laps-with the Head Commissare, told me to go off,  so I wouldn't hold up the faster riders, when it came down to the final sprints for the finish.

Every year I do this race, I manage to get a little closer to doing the whole race, before getting bumped off  by the lead motto!! But, I still love doing this race!

I am more of a Time Trialist though, where you have to work all on your own. I can average 35-40 Kph, all day when I doing long TT's, but as soon as I do a road race, I have a hard time doing that pace!

I hope I was able to pass on a little bit of  the excitement of  this fun race, and you enjoyed reading it!

I would like to pass on my thank you, to all of  the sponsors for your financial support to our club!!

If it wasn't for all of  you, there wouldn't be a club, and it would be harder for me to do what I love doing! 

If you weren't aware that I have my own website detailing my racing, I would like to have all of you to have a look at it. My site details all of my racing from the last few years, with pictures and stats. While you are having a look at it, please sign the guestbook, as well!

Thanks again, to all of our sponsors!!

VAUGHN MARSHALL