Winning: as a family

Two weeks ago was the 2wheel/ Early Bird Women's Criterium (long name) which was hosting the Masters Men Criterium Championship. For me the day started early at Larry Nolan's house. We got up ate breakfast walked out to the van and started driving. Only to have to take a quick stop for Larry's morning Double Gulp, then again to re-tighten Jon's bike after having it almost fall off the van going 50 on the Highway! After those two quick stops we smoothly made it to the race. We got there before most of the race sponsors arrived to set up their tents for the day. I was not preregistered so I first filled out the registration sheet, and handed them the $28ish to race the junior race. The race was 30 minutes long. The race started and the stacked field of four smoothly rolled together for nearly 10 minutes. Until there was a prime, which is where I sprinted to get the prime, and heard the bell for a second prime. I thought to myself, why not keep going? So, I held my pace for a quarter of the lap (1.5 km) and eased off so my competition could catch back up because he was the only 3 bike lengths behind, and I wanted to set myself up to take the prime again. I did, and the two of us (the only 17-18s racing) rotated until the last half a lap. I had already tried to get away a few laps before.  I prepared myself to sit on his wheel until the final 200 meters over the small hill.  As we came around the final corner (400-550 meters) I could see Jon, and his competition going slowly into the chicane. As we rolled into the chicane they were about to come out of the chicane. We were at 250 meters and I knew I needed the inside as we sprinted through the left-right of the chicane. I sprinted and got the left side and crested over the hill and saw Larry on the far left. I slowly drifted to the left so he could get a better picture, and this is how it came out:

I shook my competitors hand, said "good race" and made my way to the finish to see how Jon would do. He ended up getting second my a quarter of a wheel. After results were posted I was reminded that there were still prizes to be picked up. I ended up winning $60, and much more in merchandise. It seems the $28 was worth it. When I got home I looked On face book and found out that my dad finished just in front of Chuck Hutcheson, who is a fierce competitor.

After I heard the result I decided that I should go for a ride to loosen up my legs from racing my heart out at San Ardo Road race the day before, and working hard earlier in the day in the Junior race. I came home and looked at the clock, and realized that the P12s are racing then, and I was anxious to find out the results. After waiting over an hour I did not see anything on Facebook, or Twitter. About 45 minutes later my mom comes home and tells me that my brother James won the P12 race. It took me a while to put the pieces together that all three of us one in the same day. When James got home we said congratulations to each other, and called it a great day!

Thank you for reading,
Christopher LaBerge