I asked our Buffalo Team mate Kevin to recap his Spring Racing. Not only a talented bike rider, but a clever writer as well. - Taylor
"Spring is nature's way of saying, 'Let's party!'"--
Robin Williams, comedian
It seems like such a giant leap in time from the cold days in March to these summery days of June – from racing the often snowy Spring Giro della Primavera series (with frozen fingers and toes) wrapped in three or more layers of lycra to starting the Thursday Jean Masse Memorial Crit Series in Buffalo in 90 degree heat and open jersey. Yes, all this…in one season. So, with only one weekend of racing before the spring season ends it seems a good time fill everybody in what I’ve been up to race-wise. I will do my best to leave the boring stuff out.
April 14, 2006: The first real race of the season for me was the Good Friday Race in Hamilton Ontario. This year featured a new (and excellent) rolling course, fog, rain and temps in the low 50s (that’s errrrr…. y’know quite cold in Celsius). A bout of sniffles must have left me confused as I somehow let the break go away without me – I lamely fought for scraps. Result: 9th Senior Men’s Category 3; not what I had hoped for but a top-ten so I’ll take it.
April 23, 2006: Next up was the Spring Classic at Perinton NY where I entered the Category 1-2-3 for some good hard early season training. This race is excellently organized and fun and always a shoot-out for the local racers in WNY. This year featured reasonable weather, plenty of racers, one outspoken angry neighbor and for me….my first uncompleted race of the year. Result: DNF; but on the bright side….exactly what I was looking for…to get my butt kicked (thanks guys) and Rob got 2nd in the 3 race, cool.
April 29 and 30, 2006: Sturbridge MA Road Race and Palmer MA Road Race. Probably from past vacations to Cape Cod I have always loved the state of Massachusetts and although these two races are in the middle of the state I can swear I still smell the sea and the ground is sandy. Lining up for the Men’s Master 40+ race in Sturbridge on Saturday I admit although the sun was out I was chilled thinking too much of last years race when I crashed in the sprint meters from the finish line and enjoyed a trip in an ambulance instead of finishing the race…part of the game – yes; fun – no. Anyway – this year went much better – the race was fast and hard, the competition was excellent and the field was huge with 125 racers; these are fast guys and I was happy to stick with them though I missed the small break at the end (I am starting to notice a trend!) again and found myself darn under-geared with my 53 x 12 in the 42 mph downhill sprint for the remaining places. Result: 27th Men’s Master 40+ but on the plus side I finished with some fast guys. Sunday in Palmer was beautiful – sunny, clear, breezy and I was motivated. Lining up with a large 100+ racer field (or for any race) is always an exciting but nervous time for me – I often chat with people near me to ease the tension (or at least ease mine …I probably drive the other guys nuts); somehow, on this day, I managed to be standing next to a fellow who happened to have my crash from last year at Sturbridge on video, in his car, with him on this trip. Him to me (excitedly): “Do you want to see it? I can show it to you here or email it to you? It was bad! I have it right here!” Me: “ummmmm gee maybeeee” when I’m actually thinking: “there is no way I ever want to see that! Ever.” Anyway – an active race with lots of attacks – breaks form and get reeled in over and over on the first of three laps…I’m getting in one of these or bust! Another break of 4 goes – the elastic is stretching, OK I’m going to bridge and …what..huh…the race is being neutralized? You are letting the break go up the road? We were 15 feet from catching them! Five minutes later and a firm scolding from the officials for yellow line violations later we chase…and chase…and chase. OK, forget it we are racing for 5th…fine. Things stretch again then break and I’m off with a group with one and a half long laps to go. Lactic acid builds…my ability to think basically stops (it seems to me) so when we come up on a rider it doesn’t register, then we come on another…and then the final two – we caught them and we get to race for first. Yeay. With some hard pace line riding and one more trip over the rolling hills we come to the line a group of eight. A crampy haggard sickly looking sprint later I cross the line. Result: 4th Men’s master 45+ OK, I’ll call this my best result ever and I’m happy.
May 6, 2006: Jiminy Peak Road Race, MA Much like Sturbridge and Palmer Road Races this event is a long standing, excellently run, big, fun event. Lots of racers, 100+ fields in most categories, show up to race here and the course is scenic, challenging and safe…it doesn’t get much better. Closed out of my age group I lined up for the Men’s 35+ race and looked around…hmmm yes, that’s Roger Aspholm the #1 ranked master in the country, John McKone #4 ranked, Troy Kimball #9 …OK, I’m intimidated a little. A pleasant surprise, and perhaps thanks to lots of hard training, I stay with the front group through the race – I wouldn’t say I actually sprinted at the end because that would have required something slightly out of reach for me at the moment but I finished with the first group and that is good enough for me. Result: 38th Men’s Master 35+
May 13, 2006: Bristol Mountain Road Race, NY. Wow – a luxury, being close enough to the race to get there and back from home in one day – I’m psyched and the day is beautiful. The goal today is to try to stick with the group on the climbs and see what I can do to cover moves and help Rob D. do well in the race…in theory. In actual practice, I think neither Rob or I had great legs today – Rob at least never left the front group while I spent 90% of my race chasing back onto the group after getting dropped on the climbs each lap….climb-get dropped-chase, climb-get dropped-chase…..how I finished with the front group I don’t know….I assume they waited for meJ. Anyway, Result: 9th Men’s Category 3
May 27 and 28, 2006: Syracuse Stage Race, NY
I believe a while ago this race was on the NRC calendar and drew many top Pro-1-2 racers as well as full fields for all the other categories. The last couple years the Pro-1-2 racers have stayed away because of schedule conflicts with bigger races but this is still a premier event for all of the other categories with the Category 3 and Master’s races being the largest and most competitive fields. The road course is tough (although I’m starting to wonder which ones aren’t) and has been my nemesis in the past – this year things went well for me and I was able to climb with the front group and if not for getting caught up in some energy sapping cat and mouse attacking in the final 20K I may have actually gotten a place here but mission accomplished in terms of the overall stage points race….I have points and am sitting 11th overall on GC. Later the same day came the street sprints – a strange event that requires a certain skill not necessarily applicable to any other type of bike racing; riders line up in heats of 4 or 5 racers at a time and start the 200 meter sprint from a dead standstill (with the aid of a holder), by the time you start you are basically done with only the winner moving on to the next heat in basically a single elimination format. Anyway – they seem to agree with me and I made the final and finished 3rd….mission accomplished I guess, more GC points and I move to 5th overall. Sunday came the criterium on a closed park road course featuring a tricky chicane before a small climb each lap followed by a sweeping fast downhill and through the finish area. After a scary bad crash and subsequent neutralization for a few laps we restarted with 4 laps to go….one lap done and 3 to go OK now’s the time and I attack with 1 ½ laps to go – another rider comes with me and I recognize him as being high in the GC competition too and he’s as motivated as me…maybe more since he starts pulling for all he’s worth in the last ½ lap, OK by me is my only thought.
Result: Men’s Master 40+ 11th Road Race, 3rd Street Sprints, 1st Criterium, 2nd Overall
June 10, 2006: Cambridge Balloon Festival Road Race (NYS Road Championships), NY OK I’ll admit it – I wanted to be the 45+ NYS Road Champion; most would consider it a small honor at best but I would have been ecstatic. In an unusual Master’s format the 35+ and the 45+ fields were combined and would race together for the event with the places for each age group being sorted at the finish. Fine by me – I know most of the 45+ guys I’m racing against and I’m pretty confident I can ride with the front group which would be primarily 35+ guys (again Roger Aspholm, Troy Kimball….I’m in good company). Things are going swimmingly and according to plan after a blistering first lap when I get unlucky – some bumping and fast lane changing by others leaves me standing but with a broken front wheel. I dejectedly watch my group and all of the subsequent dropped groups pass me before getting my wheel. I make the change and figure I’ll give it a lap and see if I can at least get with a group and still race – but I am slow now…very slow – perhaps my breakfast has worn off, adrenalin rush gone, I don’t know….or maybeeeeee…..my brake is rubbing! Aha, that’s better and I get to suffer some more and try to claw forward a few places, which I do and sneak one of the final prizes…small consolation but better than nothing…and I have all my skin. Cool.
Result: 13th Men’s 45+
Next up for this weekend – the Cyclonauts Racers Criterium in Stafford Springs, Connecticut on Saturday followed by the Housatonic Hills Road race in Southbury, Connecticut on Sunday and that will bring a close to spring 2006 for me. And if you actually read this entire post without falling asleep I’m impressed (and thank you sincerely)!
"In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt."--
Margaret Atwood, poet
