August 7, 2004
Since my last entry, I was asked to join Cleveland Chaos cycling team. By definition, that meant I felt obliged to do the race that they had organized. It meant a two race weekend, since Geoff Zylstra and I already had decided to do Zoar together, but you do what you have to do. A cool part is Geoff is also now on Chaos, so we'll work together for both races.
From the beginning of the summer, I had heard that this was going to be a fast course. The course is a circle going around the Blossom parking areas. No corners, only a big loop. It has no real climbs, just a long roll up and a downhill finish.
Just to add to the fun, right at the start of the Cat 5 race, I realize I'd lost my wedding band. I knew I'd loose it eventually, unless I had it resized. Since I hadn't got around to it yet, it was now gone. Add a bit of distraction before the race.
Prep
Being a rather small team, Chaos had a problem getting representation in the races. Most of the guys on the team are working the event, so couldn't just jump in a race. I started the day directing traffic at a parking lot entrance. I was glad to be relieved before the cat 5 race went off, so I could warm up for the 4 race. Most of the team are cat 4 racers, so we had the best representation there, with 4. Geoff, Ryan Williams, Scott Schnitzspahn and myself. Ryan, Geoff and I have raced together as a team at Westlake, where Jim Karlovec and I were to sit in for the finish, while Geoff and Ryan attacked. The plan worked well, and Geoff and Ryan stayed away for second and third. The team did well, but it was a frustrating race for me. I'm happier being aggressive rather than sitting in for the second half of a race.
Because we expected this race to be fast, our strategy is for Ryan and myself to save it for the end. Scott and Geoff will get to the front for the last two laps to line it out. Ryan and I are to be in the top 5 or so, and we'll drill it to the end. If either of us feel good during the race, we can have a go, and the others will try to setup a block. Because the race was all 4's I expected some of the Westlake A racers to make the race harder than the B race. So I was curious how I'd fit into the group.
It's cool, I warmed up in knee and arm warmers. It may be because the course is completely shaded, but it's cooler on the road than the temperatures indicate. Base layer is staying on during the race today. As I strip off the warmers by the registration pavilion, I find they've back filled the foundation with sand. Sand, dirt and/or gravel are terrible for Speedplay pedals. Most people can't clip out when the cleats get fouled with dirt... I have to be different, when I get fouled I can't clip in. Fortunately, I get it all squared away before we line up.
The Race
Standard fair at the start. The four Chaos guys are talking strategy, and we're looking around at who showed up. 36-37 riders. Summit has a big presence, maybe 7 or 8 guys. Orrville has 4 or 5. We have 4. Snake Bite has 2. Then the smattering of other teams, either in pairs or singles.
We're off and Mike Bonomo from Snake Bite sets the pace up. We're motoring around at 25.2 or so. No major climbs, so it's OK in the group. There are a few minor pot holes (nothing deep) and a couple of dips in the road. The dips are worse than the holes, because they are shaped kind of like your wheel, they aren't deep either, but they scrub some speed. The only other obstacle are the hay bails in the final corner. They are protecting two pedestrian poles, but the line through the corners take the inside riders really close to them.
The first few laps go fine, as everyone figures out how to get through the course. We hit our first prime at about the fifth lap. I maintained my position in the top 10, and just observe the prime sprint. It winds up pretty early at about 500-600 meters, because the last 200 are downhill. So I rolled through the first prime somewhere in the top 20.
I'm comfortable on the inside line. I'm getting used to maintaining my position, and following wheels to move me up. I feel pretty good. Then the incidents start.
I think the first one occured as Scott tried to move up on the inside. I'm not sure what happened exactly, but it seemed he was moving up as the peleton squeezed in tight around a dip in the road. Next thing I see is Scott doing cyclocross right next to me in the grass. I eased up and opened for him to get back in. Score: One Chaos rider still up.
A couple laps later, I'm maintaining my position on the inside. There's a Pista Elite rider next to me. I recognize the team name as a junior dev team. Cool. Then the guy touches wheels with the rider in front and starts going all over the place. I tried to cut in tight to give him space to go down, and am about ready to call my race done. As he steers into me, I'm sure I'll be going down. I hear someone shout "rider down!" as the Elite rider has his left foot out, somewhere between my front and rear wheel. I'm leaning lightly as he is, and somehow we disengage with both of us still upright. I call up, "No one down", and jump up to get back up to the group pace. I don't know how we stayed up, that as the closest I've ever come to being taken down. Score: 2 out of 4 Chaos riders almost taken out. Nice little adrenalin rush before the next prime.
Next lap, the Pista Elite guy is near me again. I asked if he was OK, and we settle in again. At the same point where the last incident was, he blows his front tire. Fortunately, he kept it together again with out going down or bringing anyone else down. He pulled off, and took a free lap or two to fix the fla and jumped back in... very impressive how quickly he got back together. I get about one of those laps to relax before the bell rings for the next prime.
I'm planning on jumping into this one, as much to see what I've got as to warm up my sprint. At $50 a prime, it could be nice to pay for the weekends racing. I won't kill myself, as the finish has more chances than the prime, but primes are good practice for the finish.
The prime lap accelerates at the bell. At the point I expect, a group of Orrville riders go around the front on the right, and I've got space to slot in. Up over the last rise, then spin everything down the hill. I end up sixth for the prime, and learn it'll be hard to make up positions on the downhill section of the final. It pretty much came down to you finish where you crested the hill.
Overall, I'm feeling good. I'm moving around comfortably. Ryan is close to the front, but not really giving it a go. At Westlake, he'll jump off the front repeatedly, but that has a mix of Cat 4, 5 and citizens. This is all fours and may be the difference. We're averaging about 25.5 at this point.
At about 10 to go, on the same incline that the sprints have started, an AGH rider (NHVelo) goes off the front and opens a nice gap. For some reason, the group kind of sat up when he went, and I rolled off the front and pulled a gap also. So I bridged up to the guy. I wasn't alone, I brought Dave Steiner up with me. I train with Dave on the evening rides, and know he's strong and a good guy to have in a break. We catch the guy and try to organize it into something. Turns out Dave is shot (surprised me, as I haven't ever been able to ride him into the ground before), and the AGH guy is trying to take shorter pulls than Dave can sustain. I'm trying to get into 30 second pulls, so Dave and I can recover. AGH pulls off, Dave won't come around, so I get stuck doing most of the work.
Geoff somehow saw the break go, but didn't know I was in it. So he gets to the front and starts bringing us back. When he pulls off, Kevin Ward from Lake Effect finishes us off, and we write off our break after 1 lap plus a bit. Oh well, we weren't organized anyway, and didn't have good representation. We really needed an Orrville and a Summit guy to join us to make it stick for 10 laps.
The whole time I was away, I was hoping they'd ring another prime. I figured I had a shot of the 3 of us. Not to be. As we were swallowed up, the pack wanted us to pick up the pace again. I was waving them around, as my main concern now was to get into the group and recover... and under no circumstance did I want to get dropped.
Fortunately, the last prime lap was not until 3 to go. Plenty of recovery time... but a dangerous time for something to get launched off the prime. My goal this time was a top 10, so I could jump into anything that went. A little push over the top, and I was close enough to guard the group, but nothing came of it. All together with 3 to go.
Ryan is still staying nicely up front, and I'm near enough to him. I've spent about 1 or 2 laps on the outside, and didn't like it at all. So I'm sticking inside, waiting for our plan to go into action... if it does.
At the end of 3 to go, Geoff moves up on the outside. I should have shouted something, so he knew where we were. He gets on the front, and starts pulling. Ryan and I are sitting somewhere in the top 10, so it's close to what we wanted. Geoff pulls through the entire lap but then has to relent. Rob Tandy gets to the front for the bell lap, with 2 or three of his guys in tow. Rob could go, but is having bottom bracket trouble, so I think he's sacrificing for the team. Ryan and I are still following nicely at about 6 and 7th wheel.
Rob wasn't pulling long when the AGH guy jumped again. We picked up the pace in pursuit and I thought we had him close. Then Ryan and a Summit guy mix it up right in front of me. They both have to lean in hard, and both stay up, but it scrubs some speed off our finish. (Score: 3 Chaos guys involved, but all of us still upright.) Ryan jumps and I follow trying to regain what we lost. We make it over the top, and push to the line. I count 9 in front of me, with Ryan in 7th or 8th. Then as we go under the bridge, I see the AGH guy! Did he stay away? Sure enough! By a lot. Because of the near wreck, I'd lost track of what happened to him.
Post
So we ended up with Ryan in 8th, I took 11th. Geoff and Scott finished in the field. Overall, we represented the race sponsorship well. I was happy with my race. I was involved in a prime (though not at the front), happy with the break, and with the exception of the scuffle at the end, I'm sure I could have been top 10 at the finish, if not top 5. Thinking it over, I should have worked my way to the outside during the last lap. I then would have had some openings to react to craziness and maybe been able to answer the AGH attack.
Now to recover and get ready for Zoar tomorrow..
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