Group A Winner :: Andrew Nevitt

The 2009 Vuelta de San Jose was fun as expected and with the shorter TT and the time bonuses I thought I might have a chance at winning it this time! I did not know how big the time bonuses were until I was on my way to the criterium and that was when it seemed to me like it was anyones race...

With Mike TT Holt doing the race I knew we were all racing for second, even lower for me. The conditions were perfect for the event at 9 a.m. as it was perfectly calm and the temperature must have been around seventy five degrees. I was first so I could make three soccer games with the first one starting at 10 a.m. in Saratoga. I forgot my heart rate chest strap so I decided to go with perceived effort, like I had a choice. I was able to hold 28 m.p.h. until the park where the grade kicks up a bit. Once I got over the hill I just gave it all I had for a 10:32 or ONE minute slower than Mike Holt, man he can fly! The second place finisher from LGBRC was the only other rider to break ten minutes and from there six other riders rolled in faster than I did. I was placed in tenth but I had the same time as Daryl Spano who is always going strong. The highest SJBC placed rider was young Daniel Farinha.

Stage two is the criterium and it was to be fifty minutes long and have two time bonus primes and time bonuses for the finish... If you could win both and the race it would be worth one minute which would move me up to a tie for first if Mike Holt got nothing, not likely. Mike Gadow and I decided we would help out Daniel since he is a very strong racer and is having a really good year. Prime one had Mike Hernandez and another rider about ten to fifteen seconds off the front. After turn two I rolled by Daniel and told him to stay on my wheel. From there I just drilled it until we caught Mike between turn three and four. I kept it going until Mike Gadow took over just before turn four. I jumped back in about six back and Mike drilled it to turn four where Daniel took the fifteen seconds and I hung on for five! Now Daniel was closer and we still had another prime and the finish. The second prime had Daryl Spano and Dave Rosso off the front and they got around a twenty second lead. This time Daniel was drilling it on the back of the course but we got to turn four and we were still about eight seconds back. I tried to get the five seconds remaining but Jon Sek flew by me like I was standing still to nab the bonus! Now it was all back together and we had about eight laps to go. With four to go Mike Hernandez goes with another rider and they start opening up a good lead. With two to go we start to attack to catch and we only get them with a half-lap to go! Now we are a tight bunch and no one is going until the LGBRC rider hits it just before turn four so I yell to Mike Gadow to go and he jumps on his wheel, with me on Mike's wheel. Mike makes a great move and goes from the corner and gets a little gap on LGBRC guy who is second on G.C. From there I came by the LGBRC guy and almost caught Mike but he got the thrity seconds and I got twenty five or thirty in total with my earlier prime. Daniel ended up fourth and with his fifteen seconds also got thirty total and he was now eight seconds down and I was thirty.

The road race started out fast since Daryl Spano and Jon Sek attacked from the start! I did not even see it as I started off in the back but I thought it was strange when we all of a sudden drilled it after about a mile of racing! Just as we drill it Daniel drops his chain and in trying to get it back on he got it all tangled up so he has to get off his bike to fix it. Mike Gadow stayed back with Daniel and helped bring him back up to the pack. Luckily we slowed on the backside of the course but man that hurt with no warmup! We got close to Daryl and Jon and then slowed up so Mike Hernandez bridges and it is looking dangerous but Daryl is well placed on G.C. and highest in the group so I am happy to sit in and give him a chance to win. Sometime around now Daniel and Mike catch on so Daniel only thinks Mike is off but really there are three guys off. We hit the wall and Daniel attacks and I think uh oh he must not know there are three guys off. I make a comment like that to Mike Holt and he agrees. We tell Daniel on the downhill after the wall and he takes the news well. At least we worked the field, I was going to do that anyway as I want them to suffer some! Heading up to the start finish Raffi attacks as the break is only thirty seconds up the road. He pulls a long way and as we catch Jon Sek I start to help. Unfortuneately we get caught a few miles later and we catch the break just after that. Now we ride together to the wall and it is Daniel taking the win with me second and I am not sure who was third but Daniel is leading now and I figure I am fourth or so and I am feeling good. LGBRC guy now takes a flyer and he is making time as he is strong, remember he was second in the TT. I tell Yuma and Daniel we should let him bake out there by himself and catch him before the wall so we can get the time. Raffi wants nothing of this and does all the work to pull him back in just as we start lap three. It seems to me Mike Hernandez went again sometime on this lap but I am not sure... All I know is we hit the wall together and it was Daniel LGBRC and me three abreast sprinting up the wall. I was going to let Daniel win it but LGBRC was pulling away so I knew I needed to keep him from taking it so I got the win with LGBRC and Daniel coming in for second and third. We got a really nice gap but Daniel and I discussed the fact that we had the best sprints left so why not wait and recover from the effort. From here Yuma goes to the front and drills it all the way to the finish keeping it single file and making it so no one can attack! What a great job for Daniel. We rounded the last bend and Mike Holt goes but sits down right away and I think hmmm he must be cramping and Benjo does the same... I say to myself now or never you old fart! I knew Daniel was behind me and if he wins or gets second and I win he gets the overall. I also knew if I won and he was third that I would win the overall so I killed it and somehow won it and Daniel was third!

I want to thank my club SJBC for being such a fun place to hang! Mike Gadow and his son Ryan just came over and they were so happy about it they could not get over it. We have a great club that does so much for its riders we are all very lucky to have this resource. J.R., Steven, Romil, the Farinhas, the Juarez family, the Laniers, the Biscardis, everyone ( and I missed a ton of names) should be proud of what they help to make here at SJBC! This is a fun race that helps promote club unity and fitness. We got 82 people together on a weekend in late September, a hot weekend, and had a blast! Great job to all!

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