El Dorado Crit - First Road Race

Long Beach, CA
Tuesday Night Crits Tuesday May 12, 2009
by: Danielle Brown

Now I’ve raced some.  I’ve done mountain races, and epic mountain races and half day mountain races.  I’ve ridden benefit centuries and I’ve ridden the track.  Never once have I raced a bike with drop bars!  In fact, I’d never even watched a road race be it a stage race or a crit, not even on youtube until the week before this race!  It started at a nice social pace, with banter back and forth from nearly everyone.  Then it was on!  And I found out quickly that it’s MUCH easier to keep your 25 mph pace when you’re surrounded by the boys!  I know – I was in it for two laps!  So after my first race and coming in dead last, I’m ready for more.  Next time, I’m not letting those boys in. They’re going to fight for my spot!   Someone else is coming in last!

El Dorado is a fun, flat course with long sweeping turns and one sharp one with a very, very slight uphill.  It’s windy.  And it takes about 5 minutes to finish a lap.  It’s an hour long race with primes and they call out the last two laps.  Good grassroots racing!