The first time I showed up to Wednesday Worlds I had never done a road race before. It's a good way to see what road racing is like I thought, without shelling out any dollars. I rolled out with the B group and got dropped on the second corner. That's right two minutes in and it was over. I tried chasing on. They are right there not even 50 yards ahead, it looks like they are easing up, but the cross wind was just too much. I rolled to the fourth corner with a tear in my eye. I just wanted to hang in and ride around with people, it wasn't like I wanted to win the thing.
Two years ago I was still getting dropped on Wednesdays. I'd show up every once in a while and hang in as long as possible. If I was lucky I'd hang on until the last corner when it started ramping up for the sprint. Last year I usually made it to the end, but only showed up on weeks I wasn't racing. It was still pretty hard for me just to sit in.
This year with the warm and dry spring I showed up to the March and April Wednesdays. The first one I did, I hung in and hung in well. I was there at the end for the sprint.
Last night a group of two rolled off the front early. I was near the front and recognized their gap was increasing. I accelerated up to their wheel and looked back, no one had come with me. Half a lap later another rider bridged up. We stayed away for a lap or two. The pack came back and I sat in until the end.
Progress is sometimes hard to measure and sometimes it just hits you over the head.
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