The field of approximately 40 jumped off the line and besides someone trying to take out my teammate Andre McNulty just after the first turn, it was honestly the safest Crit I have ever taken part in. This makes sense, as these are the best cyclists in the state and some of the best in the country. A break of 6 or 7 formed after one lap and they were not too be brought back.
Justin Orkney with the chase group
The chase group became a fierce game for position. If you were towards the back it was not going to work out well as you were constantly breaking going into the corners and sprinting out of them to get back into the groove. Unfortunately, this is exactly where I found myself. After roughly 5 laps, I could not keep the pace and was dropped from the field. I joined up with 2 other teammates (Shawn Daly and David Welsh) and we formed a second chase group trying to regain contact with the field. I specifically remember David saying that we needed to keep our pace as the main field might slow. After about 5 more laps, we were waived off the course and were done for the day. Little did I know, the break that had formed after the first lap was just about to catch us.
Congratulations must go out to my teammate Justin Orkney who was able to stay with the main field and complete the race.
Andre McNulty post-race (with child)
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