A-D Racing Miami Masters Rosewood Series race number two

Race 2 of the Miami Masters Rosewood Series was held at Central Broward Park in Lauderhill, Florida. The course is flat and about one mile in length. The temperature was in the mid seventies. It was windy. I joined the fifty plus race at 8 AM with about thirty other riders going for 40 minutes plus two laps.

I went from the very start and was on my own with a gap after the first lap. I concentrated on keeping a fast steady pace on the section where there was a very strong headwind. That seemed to hold off the chasers. Soon one rider bridged up to me and we rotated for a few laps. Then three more riders bridged up to us and at that point the five of us were the break. 

At about minute twenty, the sprint for the green jersey was up. The four riders dropped me like garbage as they disappeared up the road for the sprint. I thought I was going to be on my own for the rest of the race but to my surprise they slowed down to recover and I was able to catch back on. From then on I was a passenger sitting on the back and conserving for the final sprint.

On the last lap, there was serious cat and mouse that resulted in the five of us really slowing down. I am not sure how far back the field was, but I was not going to wait around and find out. I went first and hoped that whatever gap there was would stick, but within a few seconds, everyone blew by me at 30 miles per hour plus. I finished fifth again, but it was a very satisfactory result because I managed to form and stay in the break for the whole race. I moved up into third place in the general classification because some of the riders who were ahead of me in the GC did not turn up for this race. 

Cesar, Mamito and Popo, in addition to being really strong riders and fast sprinters, were very friendly. With gesticulations and smiles, we were able to congratulate each other on a great race, but that was about it. My sprint needs some work (it’s getting there), but not as much as my Spanish. Corro my bicicleta con Cesar, Mamito y Popo!