Today's race was in the evening, so we got to sleep in today. I did some shopping early on then got ready and we rode the race course. It was an 8k course that we did 10 times with a finishing hill that definately would split things up. There were two other hills as well, one was the feed hill and the other was the climb leading up to the finish.
We started the race, and the first 8 laps I was on the back. I don't know what it was but I just didn't have my head in the game. I just didn't feel like getting up there, which is stupid because you spend way more energy at the back with sprinting out of the corners and such than you do at the front with the consistency.
The race just might have been the easiest one of the tour because everyone was trashed from the crit the day before. We were going fast, but it wasn't crazy. There were 3 crashes on the first lap because the pace was pretty slow and everybody was riding stupid. After that though it was cool.
I finally decided to move up with two laps to go. I was chilling with Grant and Carter from US National who were keeping everything in check and the breaks close.
With 3 k to go Taylor attacked and bridged up to a Japan kid who was chilling out there by himself. I was third in line and we slowed way down. I was secretly hoping that they would stay away because I knew taylor could out sprint the japan man. But trains started coming up on either side and it got harder and harder to stay at the front. With 1 k to go I was probably 20 riders back and we hit the hill. It wasn't steep enough to really break up. We were going up it in our 52x21 at the steepest part. At the top we turned right and it kicks up a little more and it's 200 meters to go. All the sprinters took of and I tryed to hang on for a good finish.
I ended up getting 18th, so far my best result of the tour. My other goal is to get top 50 overall but I sitting in 63rd and with 2 mostly flat days left not likely. But you never know.
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