ABD Memorial Weekend Masters Races 30+ Open (Monday)

For those that haven’t ridden it, Monday was the combined course, 1.7 miles in length. 60 minute crit. The course consisted of approximately 9 turns, 2 of them being right hand sweepers and a chicane to finish out the lap. It also has what I consider a 2 section gradual rise and when you turn at the top you turn into a 25-30mph head-cross wind. I really dig this course, especially the fast right hand sweeper after the hard left. 

Monday was not the brutal heat that Sunday was, but it was very warm none the less at the 2pm start time. We had the usual suspects that have been racing all weekend at the line. Tomlinson, a couple PACT guys including Rentas, Pearson, Jostein, and about 4 or 5 Burnham’s today. 

My plan for the day was simple:

      1)      DO NOT ride off the front solo early in the race (like Saturday)

      2)      Hang on and cover strong when the attacks hit

      3)      Position myself high up in the pack when we hit 3 to go and hold it and be no less than top                                  10 when we get the bell.

First lap was pretty mellow, everyone wanted to gauge the course and exactly how the wind was going to hit us at the different parts of it. We finish the first lap and the gloves come off and the pace shoots up…here we go. Some gentle attacks go but they are all kept in check. Tom “Burnham Monster” Driver chases EVERYTHING. The whole time I’m waiting for him to push the big red button but it never really happens. About half way through the race we are in the gutter in the head-cross wind every lap, guys (myself included) are scrubbing the lip where the asphalt meets the gutter and the cross wind is bouncing us into each other a little, no one hits the deck though. With about 25 min left in the race Pearson starts his barrage of attacks (he got away the day before so everyone knows that is what’s on his mind today), he attacks up the rise to the turn into the wind for 3 or 4 laps straight, no success. The headwind was simply too much for an attack to work. Regardless, 3 to go and Mendoza throws down a hard attack that lines it out. 

As soon as I see it, I grab Vic’s (PACT) wheel and hang on. We get the bell and I’m sitting 5^th or 6^th wheel, right where I wanted and planned on being. I just sit and tell myself take any wheel that tries to come over the top. We rail through the hard left turn and right hand sweeper at 33-34mph all the way to the bottom of the rise. I hit the last turn before the head wind only losing one position. We come up the rise to the chicane and Mendoza pinches me to the gutter and I had to check up, we bump a little and I lose a spot to him and a couple other guys that come around but I don’t panic and keep driving…continuing my steady ramping up. We clear the chicane and the sprint is on, I hold steady and wait a touch maintaining my position, then I let go. I take a guy and then there’s Mendoza next, I take Mendoza 20m from the line and ran out of real estate before I could get the next two guys, Tomlinson and Rentas. Not sure if I could have taken them too but boy was I close and right there! 

Finished right behind them; literally. Took 9^th in the field sprint and 12^th for the day! This race is a big win for me in that I feel I have come of age with these fast guys and have proven to myself that not only can I hang with them but I can also contest the race right there with them!

ABD Memorial Weekend Masters Races 30+ Open (Sat & Sun Races)

Saturday:

We raced the north course in a clockwise direction. 50 min + 3 laps, basically 60 minute crits. Wide roads, clean pavement all the way around with one little pinch spot on the outside exit of turn 2. The course ran downhill into turn 1, mild uphill drag out of turn 2 (not as mild late in the race) to turn 3 then downhill back to turn 1.

There were a few heavy hitters that showed up; Burnham brought 7 or 8 guys alone. An attack went from the gun and within a lap there were 4 guys about 50m OTF, as we exited turn 2 I was 3^rd or 4^th wheel exiting turn 2. I decided to bridge up to these 4, the pack didn’t respond, I pulled thru to them and told them to jump on. A few seconds later I was solo 50m off the front of those guys. I figured I would just stay out there a bit and warm up the legs and bring the HR up to running speed. I ended staying off the front for 2 laps and the pack was ready to elevate the pace. It can be a sinking feeling when you look behind you and see 4 Burnham’s on the front with their sights dead set on you with 30 guys stacked up behind them. Time go back and sit a little, we’ve a long way to go. Rolled with the pack covering accelerations well. There came a run mid-way where the pace was pushed harder and harder up the rise for about 4 or 5 straight laps. I thought it was going to crack me but it didn’t.  We came across for the 2 to go and I moved up to about 12^th-15th wheel going into turn 2, they drilled it up the hill and I fade back a few positions. I didn’t get myself up far enough when we hit the 2 to go lap. The pace was hot, Jason Knauff had bridged to another guy (Sven) about half a straight up the road before we finished the lap. Hit the bell lap and its fast and singled out as far as the eye can see. I do my best to hold position but I fade a little more on the rise again. However, I actually have a little punch left and am able to sprint past several guys after the corner to the line. 21^st ugh. But, legs are beginning to feel better and stronger at the end of a race. The mistake made was not moving up higher on those few laps leading to the bell lap. This mistake was not repeated come Monday.

Sunday:

Wow…it was HOT, so hot the squirrels didn’t even bother to come out of the trees. Not much to say, moves went off here and there with little success then a few get up the road. The pack is starts going hard one lap, then easy one lap, then hard the next. Rinse and repeat this about 5 times and the up and down pace in the heat is killing me. Vic Rentas (PACT) decides to elevate it and start bringing these 2 or 3 guys back. I sit on his wheel while he puts down a steady lap, then I pull through for a strong lap. I ease up to let the next guy come through…doesn’t happen. No one besides Vic and I want to do anything. I slow all the way down to 19 or 20mph for half a lap before someone finally decides that to help. I hang for a couple more laps. Suddenly get chills and goose bumps down my arms and the hot wind actually feels like about 65 degrees. 35 minutes in, I’m done; I want to race the long course on Monday. I pull out, then Joe B. (Lefty) pulls out a lap later, then Ricardo pulls out a lap later. Sitting under the S/F tent the pack is shrinking every lap. Dump cold water down my neck and live to race another day, I’m out.