Gateway Cup
University City Loop
P/1/2
St. Loius, MO
9/3/2007

Joseph LaFico

Well, after a long delay in airports yesterday I'm finally home from the Gateway City.

The last day of racing was welcomed by all as the legs were certainly feeling the efforts. Surprisingly we had 137 starters. I figured there would be less folks but I think that was the largest field of the event.

The race started and it was hard. Basically a rectangle course with right hand turns and you were either going up or down. Seriously there was no flat section that I could remember. The back side of the course was a very long false flat that when you road it during warm up you did not think much about it. At speed it was a different story.

From the gun I was at the back. I noticed that it was much easier to take the smooth lines into the corners at speed instead of continually being bunched up, hitting the breaks and then hitting the gas to surge.

That style of riding lasted for about the first 35-45mins. finally the legs came around and was aided by a break going up the road and the pack slowed enough that I could establish decent position. The break of 4 stayed out with a couple others going up the road. So it was down to a field sprint for something like 9th place. I probably finished somewhere around 30th or so....total estimation.

I'm still pretty blown away by the finishing speeds of these events! In the past I've been good enough to comfortably position myself and sustain the onslaught of the final lap speed and hold my own. Again, what I'm finding is that it takes so much to get into position that many-a-times I have little to no pop for the final run to the line. Instead of my usuall out of the saddle bursts I found myself seated at the end as the power plumits.

After 4 days of 90min crits the legs are pretty tired and the body is ready for some good shut-eye tonight. The St. Louis Gateway Cup was an excellent learning session in race management and recovery (read; it not a good Idea to get totaly blotowed with 2 days of racing left). The first night was a breeze and I felt like I could move up and down at any time, and I was in stellar position for a great result until the last lap crash in front of me. The last race was the polar opposite. Nonetheless it was a great time and I recommend this race to all.