I was about fifth going into the first corner. After a half a lap I was sitting top ten and feeling solid. The course suited me, it was a combo of tight turns and open straights. In the first set of tight turns I heard someone next to me call, "inside."
In all my years of racing when someone says, "inside, outside, on your left, etc," I nearly always give some room and appreciate the heads up. I guess for this fella, "inside," means I'm cutting inside and using your body as a berm and pushing off. I'm a big camper and this guy drills me to the outside and tosses his body into me like I've stolen food from his children.
Next thing I know I'm on my ass with an orange bike bouncing on top of me. I rolled and was up and remounting as five guys passed me. If I had a yellow card I would have used it.
My left knee hurt and I looked down and didn't see any blood. I drilled it for a minute and was back in the mix.
As the laps added up, my left quad was hurting, and while I didn't think it was slowing me, it was. I finished in the high teens and my nemesis passed me with one lap to go and I couldn't match the power output. After the finish I was cooked. I am satisfied with my place considering the places lost as well as the injury.
The first aid tent cleaned up a scrape and gave me an ice pack for my knee. My doctor was also racing and I asked him how to treat it. He said ice and Aleve. Then he added, this will be bothering you for months.
It feels good to be racing.
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