Westlake Training Crit - 6/26/2007

After a week of vacation with a bunch of low intensity, I hit yet another Tuesday Worlds of Westlake last night.

It was the Zipp Demo night, where the Speed Weaponry Wagon brought 30 pair of Zipp/Zero Point demo wheels for trial... first come first served, I guess they were all doled out in 30 minutes. I had no intention of a trial as I have come to learn I should not ride that which I can not afford.... or the lust of the flesh will hurt my wallet (well, the bike trinkets anyway) . See the pair of Steelman frames hanging on my wall as enough proof for me.

The demo seemed to bring out lots of people, as it looked like the A field had about 40-50 guys in it with lots of the area names in attendance. We had Tom, Ray, Rick and Gary all joining in the A race pain that we call fun. The goal for me was to get some leg speed and get back into intensity. I've got a big weekend in Western New York coming up, and I don't need to dig a huge hole for myself now. And there's nothing like motor pacing behind the big engines here to get the legs moving. So sit in and follow any wheel I can.

So we roll neutral to the S/F line, and as we go through, they're ringing the bell for the first prime. Hmm. Looks like the first lap attack won't happen now. Up the pace goes, and as we come through for that one, they ring the next... 24 laps of primes? Probably not, but this does get the pace up quickly.

Off the second prime, Jeremy Grimm and Tris Hopkins get off the front, and manage to stay away for a bit more than half the race. The race settled down, to the normal craziness.

Highlights include when the junior from October/Lake Effect was on Gary's wheel a bit off the front, and touched Gary's wheel, and came down. Fortunately the gap was large enough that the field had time to react. The kid jumped up quickly and just stood there as we all went around him and his yard sale. No definite word on how he is, but it wasn't too bad as we saw him walking around throughout the remainder of the race.

With the construction going on in and around the course, there seems to be more traffic in the area as people try to avoid closed and congested streets. We were often tightening up corners to avoid the oncoming lane, and there were a few other close calls as pedals brushed the pavement but everyone else managed to hold it together.

As the pace picked up, I was having fun trying to pick the wheels that would keep me near the front, or get me across the gaps. We brought back the first break, and others tried to go. This time Paul Martin and his two mates kept things closer. The gap would open, sometimes significantly, and they'd ramp up the speed and close it down.

At one point, the field completely blew apart as Paul went with a large group of the big guns. I managed to jump on Rudy's wheel as we made it up to the group, and I thought we had made the race with about 15 quick guys and others strewn all over the place. Not sure of the strategies yet, the group slowed and it all came back together within a lap or so.

Another instance, Paul went, and I hopped on Tris' wheel as he came by. We made it up to Paul's small group while he took a small breath after bringing back Baldesar and his buddy. Paul then stood to go again after the next group, and for some reason, I said "no". What? Who said that? I cussed at myself for that hesitation, because it cause me to sit on Bladesars wheel when he wasn't going to chase it... and everyone else went around. "No?" I can't say "no" when Paul jumps. That's two races I've done that now... the first time was, well, the first time I've ever been presented with the prospect. This time was just wrong. I should have just gone.

Pretty much the way the race went. There was the incident when the cop directing traffic at the corner, stopped a car going in the same direction as we were... so we could all get around it. We were chasing a break at the time, and none of us knew what to do with that. The wind comes out of the chase as we all hestitated.

Primes were still coming fast and furious. Prime for a baseball cap, some other trinket that I couldn't tell. Some for cash and some for points. I think I was semi interested three times. One I thought about holding Jeremy Grimms wheel, but he didn't go for it, so it all fizzled as a small group got away for the prize.

Another go, I was sitting fourth wheel with Rudy on the front driving the pace coming into the last corner, when Stephan comes up on the curb side, basically taking my spot in the line. I guess I was far enough back, and the wind was right that I was still in the draft. He motioned that he wanted to come out, and I figured his wheel was good to be on. It was a smooth acceleration, and as we came up on Rudy he accelerated also. Rudy took the prime from Stephan by half a wheel or so, and I was at about a wheel behind that. It wasn't my all out sprint speed, but a high heart rate had me ducking back in to try and recover before something bad happened.

Shortly after this, Tom got away with 3 others. The team did a nice job of getting on the front and slowing every one down. Not sure how it would turn out, since we still had Paul with us, they got a pretty good gap. I pulled up next to Ray, and warned him. "You know what's going to happen. Paul will come up, and we will start going at 30 per to bring this back. Be ready." Paul waited to see if anyone else got nervous first. So it was actually Dick that started the pull, Paul was a few wheels behind, and away we went to bring it all back.

With 5 to go, I felt great and was thinking about a good finish. When they rang for a 3 point prime.... ooohhhh. 3 points would look good next to my name. Coming into the last corner, I was set up well, and it looked like everyone was waiting for the move. It was at that moment that Tom came up beside me and told me how he blew sky high in his break.... just as Mehul made his jump. It was enough that I hesitated and I missed the move. Not Tom's fault, but mine.... I was on Mehuls wheel, and I could have gone with. But I didn't. Mistake two. Mehul came through solo with 25m gap between us and the group, as everyone just let him go.

It was close to the finish, so it was probably better that I didn't go. With 4 to go small groups started attacking like crazy. Ray got off the front as I somehow got stuck on the front, and more followed. I didn't feel I could accelerate to get onto any of them from the front and pretty soon there were about 10 up the road, include Paul, Tris, Rudy and Ray.

We were chasing pretty hard heading toward the start finish when a gap opened up. I was near Tony Marut, and told him we needed to get across... let's close the gap down. He hesitated, and I decided to close it myself. Get on my wheel Tony, let's go. We closed it quick enough before the start finish, I did not want to be in the third group on the road. Since the construction changed the traffic patterns, they had put a four way stop at the first corner now. Through the start finish, with a few cars in front of us. And the cars actually stopped... we all stood on our brakes. The smell of smoking rubber was thick, as we came to a complete stop.... and that totally killed the chase. I tried to pick up the pace again after the sharp corner, but instead shot off the front... again! Well that didn't work. I guess the race was over in everyone's mind.

Three more laps of silliness with some half hearted accelerations here and there. On the last lap, I heard Dick asked Tom Frueh if he was going to sprint... Tom said he would, even if he was sprinting for nothing. Then Dick ramped up the pace, and pulled off before the cop corner. I made my way near the front, and gave a half hearted attack, which ended up just accelerating the group and leading the whole thing out, which was fine with me. Tom pulled Dick around me at about 150 meters, and I sat up to roll in.

Overall a good day of speed work, with the minor exceptions... call them mental lapses. Now it's final top off of the training for the Raccoon Rally this weekend. One road race, and one mountain bike race. As I've said before, my own personal stage race. It'll be the first time I've had the mountain bike out all year. Woah, that's just scary.