Dade City Criterium

(Also on the Colavita Florida Racing Blog)
The Dade City Criterium, undoubtedly my favorite race of the entire season. Every year the 6 turn course has brought out the best results in me and now again, the tradition has held strong.
I began the day with the junior race. After winning a girl scout cookies prime, I placed 2nd in the finish, just behind my teammate Casey Braga. But it wasn't until later, in the women 4 race, that I really let the energy flow.
Lining up for the start after an entertaining kiddie race, the officials gave us the usual procedure, Then Jenny Collins, a friend of mine, came strutting across the line displaying a beautiful wrist watch that would go to the winner of the race. Don't call me greedy, but I wanted that watch, and for the first few laps I debated about how to win it. After seeing the womens 1,2,3 race earlier in the day and Tina Elliot do an amazing break off the front, that strategy had stuck in my head and became the one I chose. My first chance to get away came when they rang a prime for a pair of pink socks (say that fast 5 times). At first I had no intention of sprinting for them but when someone else showed some interest, I just had to. Not wanting to waste the attack though, I kept the power up after the line. I tried working together with the lone woman who had caught my wheel, but the pack caught up a lap later. Sitting in the group recovering, I waited for another chance.
This time when it came, we were on the back of the course and Jeniffer Doucett was taking a very hard pull. When she slid off the front, and in behind me, I quickly chose to make a break. Jeniffer was tired enough that she had little hope of chasing me down quickly and also served a purpose in blocking others behind from trying. After a lap of head down hammering, I found that one person had made the gap and we began working together for the rest of the race. I was very confident that I could beat her in the sprint so I made no strategy to tire her, just make the break work. On the last lap though, I timed my pull so she would be on the front the whole lap, basically giving me my own lead out. Through the last corner I sprinted, my momentum alone pushing me past her, and then on to the line.
Afterward I couldn't believe how well the race and the whole day went. A huge thanks to Kiefer Village Jewels of Dade City who supplied the watch I won and everyone who helped put on the race.