Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Strasburg Race Report

Positioning, positioning, positioning, I feel like the Strasburg RR was decided in the staging area before the race even began. Just like usual, I staged at the very back, and that is where I was stuck for the entire race. I managed to get a few spots on some of the very short climbs, but then immediately slid back again on the descents. I'm quite a terrible descender, but if the hills are long enough and steep enough, I can usually move up in the field. But this didn't work at Strasburg, there were too many people, we were pretty tightly packed on a narrow course, and the course was quite flat.

Imagine 60+ relatively inexperienced Cat 4s and 5s all thinking that they have a shot at winning trying to get to the front of the field in narrow country roads the last couple of hundred meters. It was a zoo, the yellow line rule went out the window and the pack got quite reckless. I backed off thinking I didn't have a shot anyway, and about then there was a big wreck up ahead in the middle of the field. It looked pretty bad, besides the clashing sounds of bikes wrecking, there was the unmistakable thudding sound of bodies hitting the asphalt. But the sound I won't forget was the shuddering moans of someone apparently in quite a bit of pain. It sounded like the demented wails of damned wraiths from the pits of hell. Ugh, I shudder remembering that....

Plus, besides the wreck there was this tight chicane in the last 200 meters or so, see this photo from a few years past. I backed off and coasted my way in to a safe finish.

In retrospect, I should have saved myself the trip and just done the Lehigh Valley Winery Circuit Race the following day nearby. That sounds like a race not to miss next year.

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