Comments on: CBR Memorial day – race 1

By: JH

JH — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 01:29:08 +0000

Thanks for the response Nathan.

I had the same thoughts when I had my crash and slowly I have been able to race crits again. You just have to change your tactics. I am either at the very front or very back. With 5 to go I am either leading someone out, chasing a breakaway or I am watching the mess.

The emotional and financial hardship of a crash really throws you off for quite some time. Even with what they call “INSURANCE” and the positive talks you get after a crash, the guy that walks away will always have a different take on it.

I wish that everyone at some point could eat shit like this. I am pretty sure the mentality will change. It’s sad, but it is true.

By: Nathan Miller

Nathan Miller — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 06:03:44 +0000

I was in that 3′s crash. A guy went down in front of me and I flipped over him. I landed on my shoulder and fractured my collar bone. Bruce (CA pool) broke his collar bone too. Bruce’s wife drove us to Long Beach Memorial. To say Bruce will be fine isn’t entirely true. They were still working on him when I left, I’m sure he needed surgery.

BTW – This race ended my criterium racing. I’m done. These races/racers are getting worse.

By: JH

JH — Thu, 29 May 2008 03:50:21 +0000

Alright… I am bringing LaFonda, the terrible 150cc scooter…. I wonder who will get more shit. Last time 2 guys wanted to throw some punches…

By: MW

MW — Thu, 29 May 2008 03:02:11 +0000

Ya–I know!! It was an ugly situation all around. By the way–Im hitting Fiesta on the TT bike tomorrow!!!!

By: JH

JH — Wed, 28 May 2008 16:38:27 +0000

Point taken Mike. BUT there were people in corner 4, so this was how I saw it.

Hope your teammate heals OK.

By: MW

MW — Wed, 28 May 2008 16:23:54 +0000

Let me try and shed some light! I was on the side watching as I was getting ready for the next race. The crash happened right in front of me. I understand where Ernie is coming from as most racers are focused on the riders in front and around them(especially in the last lap) and not too concerned about what’s up the road. I saw the leadout and saw the entire peleton not looking up the road until about 100 ft before the crowd in the road. Me personally–If I was on the front, I would be afraid of riders taking me out from behind. Ernie and a couple other riders rode through, not at full speed, and made it safely.

By: JH

JH — Wed, 28 May 2008 13:32:28 +0000

Alright, I tried to answer to this and I wrote it out 3 times, but there is no nice way to say this, so i won’t say anything. You know what went on, I watched it from the side….

I guarantee your teammate would have traded 3-5th @ CBR for a safe finish… Maybe its just me being a pussy and realizing that it is just not worth it. I would like to hear form your teammate, I am sure he has other thoughts.

In any case, congrats on the results.

By: Ernie Sanchez

Ernie Sanchez — Wed, 28 May 2008 05:12:28 +0000

Dude, not sure how this works but I just got it forwarded to me by some folks. I am the 1st CA Pools Guy that was following a teamate’s leadout and that had a gap on the rest of the field along with a Helen’s rider during the last lap. When it comes to racing, its balls out to the finish, and that’s the focus when a teammate has laid it down for you on the last lap! Gotta tell you, I had a teammate on the ground who ended up in the hospital and I/we attended to him after the race. Guess what, he’ll be fine, as will you, who I suppose got a nice rear shot as we did it again on the second race finish, finishing 3rd-5th.