Gasparilla Criterium & Florida Road Race Championship (3/29-30/14)

Staging for the Cat 4 Criterium

Last weekend was the Florida State Road Race Championship for Juniors 14 and under, and also the Gasparilla Criterium. I was really excited because my new Specialized S-Works Tarmac road frame came to the shop while I was in California, and I was planning to build it from scratch. After spending a day putting it together, and another day doing some fine tuning, my racing machine was finally built.


On Saturday, I lined up for my first Cat 4 crit since upgrading last summer. The weather at this race was the worst I have ever raced on the road. It was pouring and the wind was incredibly strong. For 40 minutes, we battled it out through sharp, slick corners and fast straightaways.

On the last 5 laps, I started to slowly make my way from the back of the lead group to the front. After the final turn, I sprinted for the finish line, placing 3rd in my category. My finish qualified me to race the Twilight Amateur Criterium that evening with everybody who qualified in the amateur categories.

Me racing in the Twilight Amateur Criterium

The next morning, we drove to Pinellas Park for the Florida State Road Race Championship. After completing my warm-up, I felt really optimistic about this race. Once we went off, I made a huge attack on the first corner, dropping all but two people. On the third lap, I made another major effort to drop those remaining riders, and this time, I got away clean. I spent the remaining 3 laps time-trialing it to the finish line, and won the championship.