How do i win a bike race??

Im very frustrated right now with my cycling. I have not won a bike race yet this year. I won a field sprint at the Army road race, but a victory still has not been had and im starting to get frustrated!!

So yesterday i went out to a race in Merrimac MA. This was a really good opportunity for me to win a bike race since it didnt have the ussual cat 1's and only 2's and some 3's. The race was going well, i felt perfectly comfortable during the race, even during a few failed breaks i was in. I definetly felt like i was the strongest guy in the race because i didnt have any trouble in the race. So with 2.5 laps to go, i get in a move with another rider and we look at each other and shrug our shoulders, as a weird non verbal agreement that we will work together and give it a shot. We knew it would be tough to stay away with just us 2 and we were soon joined by a couple other people.

Still not that far away from the field we have one more guy from team CCB bridge up to us and then we hit it pretty hard to get away from the pack, and it worked really well because we had a pretty huge gap after a short amount of time. I was still feeling really comfortable.

After one lap away in the break there were a couple of deadweights that werent doing anything, so i hit it hard on a hill hoping to beak the group a little bit and get away with the only 2 guys i knew were real strong..... that failed and it looked like it would come down to a sprint, which i didnt give a lot of thought into... so thats my first problem, cuz i didnt have a plan on how i would win the race.

So the sprint comes, and im in OK position. We start sprinting and one guy goes to the left and another too the right, i head to the right forgetting that there is a significant bend in the road that favors the left side.... needless to say, that was the dumbest thing i could have done and made up some space but it was too late and i lost by about a half a wheel, and one other guy threw his wheel in front of mine so i took third.... annoying.

Last year this would have been a great result, but this year im a lot stronger and expect more from myself. if i cant win a cat 2 race, how am i ever gunna win a pro 1/2 race.... i got lots to learn

enough complaining tho. Next weekend is nationals in Madison Wisconsin. It should be an amazing experience. I hope i do well there, it will be my first national event that i have gone too, so it will be cool. My legs are feeling good. but i cant win bike races!!

so after i get lots of school work done this week, i will be heading out wed morning. Updates of nationals to come as soon as i get back

later

-j