Could'a, Should'a, Would'a: 03/02/10

Here's how this weekend's racing could'a, should'a, and would'a played out if it hadn't played out the way it did...

At the Richmond International Raceway Criterium, Team Nature's Path / 3 Sports Cycling gave plenty of racers from all over the Mid-Atlantic a chance to cure their cabin fever:

• District Cycling starts us off with some good ol' Ricky Bobby comparisons and finishes with himself as Cole Trickle.  It's good to be the star of every NASCAR movie during a bike race.
• The Training Effect lived up to his name by doubling up, providing graphical analyses of the results and asking the eternal questions about what it all means.
• FireBike has it all: what he thought would happen, what happened, how he avoided destruction in the final meters, and how his buddy made the team proud.  That's what racing is all about.
• Tradewinds Racing keeps it short and sweet: they want to race against more MABRA women!  I wonder if this will fit into that old adage "be careful what you ask for?"
• CycorCycling posted a report from her first real race as a Cat 3; apparently it was cold, and windy, and cold, and windy, and she might have mentioned it was cold (and she owes several 'mates several favors...)
• FatMarcVanderbacon has this unique race report from the Wilmington Training Race Series tucked into a weekend update: what I ate (with pictures), what I did (with pictures) and how I feel about my old collegiate team (who apparently did not respect their elders!)

Collegiate racing is still in full swing and lots of teams showed up for a weekend at the Naval Academy:

• Hokie Jacob Aber glances at the Navy weekend but has his gaze fixed on the Jeff Cup. 
• When it's no longer a "race report" but a "podium report," you know the GW Cycling team had a solid weekend.
• Of course, when "podium report" turns into "puke report, you know Nick Versus Gravity has a less attractive tale to tell.  But there is definitely a good lesson learned from his 'mate's experience here.
• Money 'N Stuff gives a few more of the "less delectable" details of the whole puking phenomenon and actually makes it look sexy somehow.
• Not to plug the GW Colonials too much, but they do have a nice comprehensive look at a weekend's worth of ACC action.  Kudos to them for taking the team approach seriously and working on every aspect of their game; warnings to MABRA: collegiate season will end soon and these guys will be stealing your podium spots!

Know of any more great race reports from last weekend? Send them to me here.

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Gus Grissom races for Team GamJams Racing, teaches Greek and Latin at DeMatha Catholic High School, and writes a dissertation in his spare time.  He compiles this column strictly for fortune and glory.