Ken in the pack...
Kurt chasing the pack...
The Comp Racing / Salem Cycle racing team kicked off the outdoor racing season in the traditional way... Racing in weather that is really cold and windy! Just like a spring classic should be! The morning of Marblehead dawned sunny and chilly, with about a 50 MPH headwind (OK, maybe not 50, but it was windy and it was never at our backs). After a few warm-up laps the race started with a very uneventful 1st lap, but at the bottom turn at the end of the causeway, the race lit up with pace going from an easy 18-20MPH on the first lap to an all out sprint to get to the bottom of the hill, only to regroup and do it all again with a steadily increasing pace for the next several laps. On about the 4th or 5th lap around the Neck, I managed to make a bad shift while I was at the back of the pack and got dropped quicker than.... (fill in your own metaphor here). I chased for the next lap or so, keeping the pack within sight, but as anyone will tell you... Going solo in a monster headwind is not the best way to catch a group of 40 riders. After getting picked up by some riders that had already been dropped, we cruised for the rest of the race getting some paceline work. While I was busy hanging in the chase group, our latest powerhouse Ken was busy hammering in the main field, avoiding the crashes and staying out of the wind, to place a very respectable 14th place! Top 15 in Marblehead is AWESOME!!!! As the season continues, keep an eye out for Ken and the rest of the Salem Cycle / Comp Racing Cycling Team!!!!
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