Lucarelli & Castaldi sponsored no fewer than three race series' in major city parks this weekend -- Central, Prospect and Branchbrook -- and TBD had racers at all three venues. The TBD slowboiz -- an informal nickname for our category 4 squad crafted as part of our race report two weeks ago -- raced in Central and Prospect parks. These are their stories. 

SATURDAY in Central Park - CRCA No. 2 with Clark Fredricksen (2nd place)

"Tan on." This is what I had been waiting to hear. 

I'd sat near the front most of the race to make sure I'd be in any moves that went, but otherwise my plan was follow the wheel of Michael Tan—the sprinter from the Good Guys team—going into the sprint. Unlike many teams in Category 4, the Good Guys are, well, good at the lead-out train. And I knew that if I stuck to the wheel of their sprinter, I'd get a nice tow to the line with a shot at the win. "Tan on" was the signal I'd waited for. All-aboard the Good Guys lead-out train. 

Speaking of lead-outs, I had no teammates in the race myself. Fellow slowboiz Cullen MacDonald and Clay Parker Jones were resting to defend our yellow jersey in the following day's Prospect Park race. I was on my own. And yet, I almost squeaked it out. Coming into Cat's Paw I was third-wheel with the final two Good boys in front, but when Tan jumped early I wasn't ready to sprint yet and I lost two bike lengths that I couldn't close in time for the finish at the Met. 

As the French would say, deuxieme place. Merde. 

SUNDAY in Prospect Park - Lucarelli & Castaldi Cup with Clay Parker Jones (2nd Place)

We spent a significant amount of time during the week trying to figure out what the impact of the leader’s jersey would be on the race. Would others attack? Would breaks be more or less likely to go away? How should we use our small team against the larger groups from Good Guys, Rapha, and Dave Jordan?

Coach Fetty’s advice was simple and, as usual, correct: remember that the goal is to win; don’t get so obsessed with trying to follow a plan that you forget to race; communicate loud and don’t worry about other teams stealing your plans; don’t work if you’re planning to sprint.

The morning brought clearish skies, frigid temps and plenty of wind. After a bit of first-lap silliness, we settled into what would be the pattern for the whole race:

• Cullen sat on the front doing threshold
• Me, sitting in his draft doing endurance
• Clark 5-15th wheel, marking breaks once they seemed serious, and giving Cullen a bit of a breather once the breakaway was brought back

Our pals at Good Guys were also keen to ensure that the race ended in a fast sprint, with Michael Tan more or less splitting the chase-down duty with Clark.

Everything was going pretty much according to plan, and just as we were about to come through for the bell lap, I figured we could safely say that the race would end in a sprint, and that I’d have a good chance to contest. And then I went and did something dumb. I jumped after an attack following the race for the KOM points, not knowing where Clark was and knowing that Cullen at this point was probably toast. After bridging to a strong-looking Foundation fellow, I saw that we had a gap and decided to go for it.

Oh man, how cool would this be? Long break, solo win in yellow? Sick.

Nope. They caught me a third of the way through the lap and all I got from Clark was a really, really disappointed shake of the head. 

Nevertheless, Clark dropped me off at the back of the Good Guys leadout party. I mistimed my jump and Alexander Buchmann of Rapha came over the top for the win, leaving me in 2nd, and losing the jersey for the next race in a tiebreak. But ending the weekend two points away from upgrading, and feeling good about racing road bikes for the first time ever feels like a real win. 

Meanwhile ... Cullen macdonald (64th place)

Clay pretty much summed it up. I spent 95% of the race on the front and then I went off the back on the last lap for a well earned cool-down. Until next time, folks.