JBN Criterium 2012

After the storm last night, I was hoping that the 90-100 degree heat wave would subside.  No such luck, another day of racing in the high 90s.  At least our power had been restored, and our water remained on.  We had set out all my bottles full of water, because the last time we lost power, the water soon followed.

The 2/3 race was hot, fast, and hard.  Many attacks, I got away with two other guys for a few laps, but we didn't go far, and it didn't last.  I sat in for a bit, while Jeff went off in a small group.  Riders kept continually bridging up, until the "break" was as big as the "field".  Soon it all merged together.

I spent the last lap just trying to stay near the front, I came around the last turn in a decent spot, and heard a nasty wreck somewhere towards the back, ouch.  I didn't have a whole lot left after attacking and sitting out in a small break, but managed to sprint somewhere into the top 10. 

After placing the U23 riders separately, I just managed to snag the last money spot, in number 7. 

Kennet Square Criterium

After a good week of racing so far, I was looking forward to a Friday evening criterium.  However, I wasn't sure if the racing miles would take their toll, leaving me with tired legs, or the intensity would turn out to be a good tune-up.  The Wednesday RR was grueling, but the Thursday Night crits went well, ending up only 1 point behind the winner.  Now, Friday, I'd find out.

We had 40 laps on a tight four corner course, with a moderate change in elevation.  I took a few laps around, and turns 3 & 4 looked potentially gnarly.  After a fast downhill section on the back straight, there were two tight 90 degree left hand turns, with some rough pavement, tall curbs, manhole covers, and general road defects.  Just after turn 4, the finishing straight turned into an uphill drag.


The effect of this was vicious at the back of the pack.  The field would unavoidably bunch up and slow down through the turns, then coming through turn 4 required sprinting up the hill to close gaps.  NOT easy or fun at the rear.  After a few laps of that, I decided to do something else and moved up to the front.  With 35 to go, I made a moderate attack up the S/F straight, and rolled off solo.  I was hoping that at least one or two others would go with me, but this course had a lot of breakaway potential.  Alas, I was on my own.

Over the next 25 laps, I rode tempo, keeping a steady effort on the back stretch, and up the hill, but carrying more speed through turns 3&4, and into the hill.  On this course, I think that it was probably more efficient being out on my own, instead of in the field.

I got to a maximum gap of 25 seconds, before getting caught with 10 laps to go.  I sat in for a bit, but quickly got back to the front and worked on staying in the top 5-6 position.

I was second wheel with 2 to go, in a pretty good position, when I ended up on the front for the bell lap.  That was perfect, and I gladly took the front position.  On the downhill backstretch, I was getting good communication from whoever was on my wheel, and kept the tempo just right to keep anyone from coming around.  After 25 laps on my own, I knew the perfect line through both turns, accelerated around the final high speed turn, and then launched my sprint wide open from the very bottom of the final straight.  I didn't look back until I crossed the line, very happy to take another win for the week.

The crowds were into it, more live bands, and lots of great eating options right there in central Kennett Square.  Becca and I found a good Asian restaurant, and I ordered an awesome Sushi & Sashimi platter, with a refreshing mango drink.  It tasted great.

Thanks to Carolyn Worthington for the photos.

Chesco RR (States)

Wednesday morning I headed down into Chester County again for the road race of the Chesco GrandPrix, just in time to see the end of Sabina's race, congrats to her for medaling on such a tough day.

The pavement was so hot, that the tar patches were swallowing up cyclists and officials like dinosaurs in the tar pits.  Seriously, one official was stuck to the road, and several bike tires had large sections of PA-82 stuck to them.

The Victory brewing beer tap truck was there again, but whew, it was too hot to think about beer.  We had some 50 riders start in the 66 mile Cat 3 event, and only 30 finished.  The Pro/1/2 had even worse attrition, over 92 miles of racing!

It wasn't a race where anyone could make anything happen, the race just "happened" and we went along with it, powerless against the oppressive heat and course.  There were several break attempts, but nobody could stay away.  With about 20 miles left to go, we had a good group rotating to chase one of those doomed breaks, when about 9 of us found ourselves off the front.  It wasn't so much that we rode away, but rather the rest of the field was probably too exhausted to close any gaps.  Mainly, me and a QCW guy did most of the work, everyone else had excuses "I'm totally cramped up", "I've got nothing left".  He attacked once really hard on a hill, and I just managed to follow him.  We came into the last km with about 4-5 of us left in the lead group.  There are two "stair step" climbs in the last km, he attacked hard on the first one, and a Pawling Cycle guy went also, it was too much too soon, so I just rode tempo up the first one.  They had a big gap, and I figured I was doomed to 3rd place again, but between the hills, I accelerated, and waited until the second hill to launch hard, I carried my speed up and over, and passed the two leaders who were completely cooked, and managed to take the win.

The final break.

Thanks to Carolyn Worthington for the photos.

Pic of the final from Julie Elliot.

Coatesville Classic

I missed the first 3 events of the Chesco GrandPrix, but wanted to at least make it a few of the races, sounded like a fun series.  There was a live band, Victory brewing had a big tent setup with a kitchen and lots of beer, and the announcer sounded like the same guy from Beacon cross, animated and funny.  There was a good crowd of spectators lined around the course, adding a lot of energy to the atmosphere and another element to the race.

I wasn't feeling super fresh after a good ride with the Cutter's crew on Saturday (still can't believe watching John Gabor big-ring up Haupts Bridge).  I lined up at the back of the Cat 3 field, and thought that this might turn into a training ride.  Right from the go, guys were attacking and it was 7-8 laps of mostly strung out single file.  The course was fun, 6 corners with some quick turns, and one very long straight, but still mostly open and smooth.  Some small elevation changes, and the accordion effect at the back of the field was pretty bad, going through the tight turns.  No attacks were sticking though, everything was coming back, and I was planning on taking my chances in a field sprint.  

However, after two guys attacked really hard in succession and were pulled back, I felt a lull in the field with 10 to go, and made a moderate attack up the start-finish straight.  I guess the guys that had been doing all the chasing were tired, because they just let me roll away.  I was waffling between committing all out 100%, and just sitting up because I didn't want to try and solo to the end.  

I ended up doing something in the middle, just riding tempo, dangling in front of the field at about 10 seconds, then 17 seconds, then I got a time check from "Lamprey Systems" to "second place" and heard the announcer talking about NC State, at which point I knew David M. was bridging up, he lapped the field on Saturday, we lapped the field together at Wrightsville, so I was glad to hear he was coming.  He had a much harder time getting away from the field, as he was a marked man, and no one wanted to let him go, or else everyone wanted to go with him.  I soft pedaled for a bit, and he finally joined up with me.  We immediately started rotating smoothly, but soon after 2 other guys joined up.  

We were close enough to the field that guys could make the bridge.  But then three of us really committed 100% (at least I was at my limit), we dropped the fourth, and then the time gaps started going up again.   

 The spectators were really a good motivation, and the announcer was giving us time checks.  

We came around the final turn with me at third wheel, I tried to time my jump just right, got by second place, but was losing steam and he pipped me at the line despite my desperate attempt at a bike throw.  The field had ramped it up, and came through just a few seconds later.

Thanks to Carolyn Worthington for the photos.

Emrick Blvd Cat 2/3

I had heard that last year, a break stayed away in this race.   Plus, I was coming off two good crits where the break lapped the field, so I had expectations that a break was the way to go again.  After convincing my teammates Bernie and Jeff that a break was the way to go, it proved not to be the case.

We took turns attacking a bunch, and following moves, but everything came back.  With 10 to go, I got in a small move that grew to 6-7, but just dangled in front of the field.  We were getting hung out to dry.  Finally they closed in on the last lap, David M. made one final huge effort, but got caught on the last turn.

In hindsight, it is pretty clear that a break would have a hard time on this course, it is WIDE open, and very fast.  Anyway, it was good racing, and fun trying. 

Wrightsville Criterium, Cat 3

I hadn't planned on doing this race, but at the last minute signed up and I'm glad I did.  I believe it was the first year for this race in Wrightsville, and I hope it isn't the last.  A fun course, good location, and a generous payout make this one that I'll be marking my calendar for next year. 

I met Brandon before the race, and we briefly talked strategy.  One of his teammates was itching to try and get away, and Brandon sounded like he was going to sit in, help out a teammate, or go for a chance of his own if it came up.  Jokingly, he asked me if I was going to lap the field again this week, I think my dismissive response was something like "yeah right..."

As usual, I staged at the very back of the field, with about 30 starters, it wasn't a huge group.  There were plenty of early attacks, and the pace was high right off the start.  After turn 2, the course had a long fast downhill section, followed by two 90 degree right turns in quick succession on a fairly steep, short incline.  The accordion whiplash at the back of the field was really bad, you'd lose most of your speed from the descent while navigating the two turns, and then have to try and accelerate up the steep section, and that effort was quickly sapping my legs. 

I decided that I had to try and get up towards the front, because I was dying back there.  It took a couple of laps, but I finally got there.  I took a few hard turns at the front, and tried to follow some moves, but everyone was still too animated and nothing was getting away.  On one lap, I came through turn 2 on the inside, and somehow got pinched off in the exit of the turn, I may have been trying to squeeze through a tight line, but ended up tangling bars and went off to the right smack into the side of a big black SUV parked along the grass.  There was quite a good "BANG" and I bounced off, managed to regain control, went through an evergreen tree (spruce?), narrowly squeezed through some ornamental lawn rocks, and just jumped back on course before the next row of hedges.  I lost a lot of spots, and field was half way down the hill by now.  I quickly checked with the other riders, and we all seemed to be ok, so I jumped on full chase mode. 

Fortunately, the accordion squish saved me, and I managed to latch back on during the exit of turn 4, right on the hill part.  The battle to get away was still full on, and in another lap or two, I shaved down my rear derailleur cinch bolt and right pedal on the high curb inside turn 4.  It was tight....

At one point I found myself up at the front with Gale, who was really working to make the race, we sort of countered each others attacks, and managed to get the right combination of gap and speed to put some small distance on the field.  David from NC State was right there also, and we quickly went into full on escape mode.  Gale was in full on animal mode, and about dropped me a couple of times, but we were working very well together, and on each lap, took the same section of course which allowed for very smooth, predictable rotations and we kept the pace high.  Plus, we could just rail the turns 3 and 4, which was a huge advantage as we were carrying far more speed into the short hill.

I think we started the race with the lap counter showing 35, and when we finally had our breakaway established, there were 18 laps showing.  It felt like a long way to hold a breakaway, but at the pace we were going, I was more worried about just following Gale and David's wheels.  David seemed to be the strongest, he was pulling the entire start/finish straight, into the wind, and slightly up hill.  We deferred the primes to him, and just kept the pace smooth. 

Eventually, we saw the tail end of the field wrapping around the turns ahead of us, and I knew we were going to lap the field.  I made a plea for a little respite in the pace, and they relented, slightly, but not much.  Finally, with about 5 to go, we integrated into the back of the group.  Gale made his intentions clear, he wanted to go right on through and out the other end again.  That was not much of an option for me.  He developed from animal mode, into full on beast mode, and proceeded to attack and lead the field for much of the remaining race.  David hung back slightly, and I tried to stay on his wheel.  Coming into the final lap, I was losing the battle of positioning again, and finally just sat back, to watch David and Gale take 1-2 in the field sprint.  That was not something I could have contested, and was happy with 3rd. 

If you missed Wrightsville this year, definitely check it out next year, it's a good location, and a fast, fun, and challenging four corner crit.  Not your ordinary industrial park course, for sure.