One of my first weekends of racing in Florida last year was the Nocatee Stage Race outside of Jacksonville. The race is centered around an unfinished development (last year I called it “failed”, but I did see a few more houses being constructed this time around) consisting of a 6.5mi road loop and a small circuit race in a remote subdivision. The race was once again a ton of fun, but with a calendar date a full month and a half earlier than last year the heat played a major role in the racing experience.
The road race went as well as last year. I finished in the “field” after a break of seven riders went up the road and won by about six minutes. The criterium didn’t go as well as last year. My teammate wasn’t able to defend his title (in Hawaii), and the rest of the squad was working hard to get something going throughout the day. They were able to finish with the field, and I ended up third from the bottom after getting lapped twice. It was a tough day, but the best part was beating the guy that left the race halfway through because his wife had gone into labor.
Big props go out to that guy’s wife for getting him to quit so I wouldn’t get last place.
…
The heat is unbearable in August.
I anticipate the changing of the weather in mid-September.