The heat returned this weekend as we headed down to Ninigret for the Caster's Crit. First up was "Fearless Leader" Derek Zisk in the over the hill division. Looking at the field, Derek's strategy was simple... Stay with Todd, Randy, Dave, and Mark of Arc-En-Ceil. On the first lap, our hero got in a break with Todd and they were putting distance into the field. Not happy with the way the break looked, Arc brought it back and immediately countered by firing guys off the front. Derek attempted to bridge to a promising group, and almost made it getting jumped by Kellogg with meters to go, and then he died and ended up in a chase group battling for 8th place. He rode hard in the break and didn't dawdle which cost him in the sprint and he had to settle for 12th place.
Up next was the cat 3 race with me and Billy. The wind was picking up a bit. At the gun, a Caster's guy and someone else get off the front and put in a huge gap. After a few laps of fiddling about, I made a move with Chris Burke of Providence Velo and we eventually got across to a tired pair and rolled through. We'd eventually get caught, but the field immediately sat up and Chris never fully integrated with the field and rolled off the front yet again with a new partner a kid from Arc-En-Ceil. He'd drop the kid and be joined by a Quad City rider. The field broke up and a group of 7 with me and Bill formed to chase. We'd be joined by two more soon there after and eventually join up with the leaders. Guys were not working very well and leaving gaps, skipping pulls and just sitting in. It was crunch time, so I kept filling in the gaps and driving hard. Bill was also a major force in keeping us away. By the time we had established a good gap, I was pretty spent and couldn't attack the group. I tried a feable attempt with about 3 to go, but was chased down. With 11 guys fighting for 10 spots, I decided to hold out and see if I could just make the top 10 instead of throwing caution to the wind and coming up with nothing. Bill ended up winning the race and although I mucked up my finish (Again!), I ended up in the money for 8th.
After a cool down lap, Bill and I worked to help out the sprinters Lionel and Jon in the M35+ race. At the start a guy asks if "lapped riders would be pulled". Of course I get stuck behind him on the first lap as he lets a gap go and I'm chasing for a half lap. I never saw him again. It was pretty hard for me early and the heat was taking a toll. Midway through the race, I was able to show myself near the front with the boys. I'd help Lionel close a gap once and kept an eye on things. With 2 to go, Dave Rusnak attacks and I go to the front to reel him in and catch him with about a half lap remaining. Bill took over and led out the sprint. Jon got nipped at the line by Paul Curley for the second time this year and wound up 2nd. and Lionel was one out the money in 11th.
In the cat 4 field, Ken Hamel finished in 8th place for the team getting another top ten for us while Brenden O'Neil showed up in the colors for his first race of the year.