Hayman's Classic Cycling Provincials Cycling BC

Well...I didn't really know what to expect, this being my first ever flat out bike races. I'm used to having to hop off my bike and then go run... Friday: The first race was the time trial. I'd been having some pretty good time trials at the BOA balance point ones is Kelowna, so I thought I'd do well. I started ok, but had some trouble getting my Heart rate up at the beginning. The weather was cold and rainy, but not too bad.  I biked hard the way out, and then felt better on the way back. I hammered it up the hills and flats at the end. I got 10th place in the U17.  Afterward, I was immediately thinking about the next day, hoping for a better result and feeling more confident.
Criterium Race: I got a proper warmup in at the Crit race, and was ready when the horn blew. I started out fast with the group, with a pretty good starting position(in the second row). Those 180 degree turns every lap made for a lot of HARD accelerations, and easy for breaks. I was strong, able to bridge myself up, and close some small gaps. I was sitting too for back in the pack, when a break went off the front. This made me fighting with others for maybe top 9. We worked hard, and managed to catch some fallen stragglers. I also worked with others in my group to close a break from someone who had been in our pack. This made it a fight for 6th place. I was ready for a sprint, round the lap 180 degree corner, I started standing and then kicked it into a full on sprint...just to have my calf cramp! I thought "no slacking off now!" As I pushed through that cramp with everything I had. I managed to out sprint everyone in my group, giving me the 6th place. Connor and a few other kids were ahead of me. The winner was about 45 seconds ahead at the end of the race.
Road race: After the crit, I thought to myself, "add hills, and that will knock off another 3-4 guys." The morning of the road race I started to get pretty nervous. This is what I'd been waiting for all weekend. 84 km of...I didn't really know what. I'd never done a flat out road race! We started at a slow pace, people talking, laughing, and others getting into position, when all of a sudden...Bang! Someone goes off the front, the gears all start to click up, and your sprinting as hard as you can. I had failed to get into a good position, and was blocked with about 2 guys on my left, and another on my right. I knew I had to go with the guys off the front! I managed to get out, and had to bridge a bit as we started the grueling 4km hill that was near the start of each lap. Then the pace slowed, just before there was another break attempt.  A crash with 3 guys on the hill (of stronger riders), broke up the competition a bit, and played into my favor. At the top of the hill, It was me, and three riders from TaG cycling. A kid named Connor  from Kelowna, a Ben, and another kid. When we looked back, there was a distinctive gap. They were unable to close it. This made it up to me to break a TaG sweep. They tried to break me...again and again! I had to absolutely sprint! On the second lap, and attempt by Ben and Connor backfired, and ended up dropping their buddy, as I hung on. I managed to stay another lap, before I was dropped. I thought It could be my race to win until that point. I thought, If I could hang on, I could possibly out sprint them at the end. When I was dropped, I thought, "it's just a 30km time trial!" I didn't know what my gap was to the next pack, so I was on my own, biking as hard as I could, just hoping that they wouldn't catch me. The last 5km, my legs started cramping BAD. I'd had some cramping sensations earlier, but it wasn't TOO bad. But then it happened... One leg, and then the other. I was just like "not now!" I biked up the last hill before the finish with a pulsing right thigh, and holding on for dear life. I hung on.. securing the bronze. The pack had caught me by 4-5 minutes, ending only a bit over a minute behind me. Biking in the dark, not knowing where I was in the race, can be quite terrifying.
Iv'e learned lots about tactics this weekend, and am excited to use those tactics in my Triathlon racing.
Cheers to Connor and Ben who were so strong!