I didn't think this race was going to happen today. I awoke to the sound of rain and proceeded to drive through a blinding downpour on the trip North to Grand Rapids. As if on queue, the clouds parted upon my arrival to the staging area and my nervous apprehension continued. I was about to take part in my first Criterium race. The event I chose to attempt this was the Meijer Grand Cycling Classic held in downtown Grand Rapids. I had just upgraded my USAC Cycling licence and registered in the Masters 45+ class. I soon discovered this class can contain racers from CAT 1-4. In other words, these dudes are freaky fast. Next time I'll stick with CAT 4. As I was warming up I witnessed several crashes during some of the prior heats which only added to my nervousness. I was advised to exercise caution over slick man-hole covers and any painted surfaces. The older brick road sections were greasy, especially in the turns.
The start was fast and I struggled to hang on to the pack during the first few laps. The intensity had me in difficulty immediately. On the backside of the course I lost contact with the group and spent the next half hour riding laps solo. During that time I was lapped twice by the field. For a brief period I wanted to drop out but hung on to finish 17th out of 19. 
Overall it was a great race experience. It can only help me to become a better rider to do more of these type of events. I hung out to watch the Pro race and enjoyed every moment watching this spectacle with my teammates. Criterium racing is a spectator friendly event. Great time!
RESULTS
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