The Chippewa Creek road race is a well run circuit race. The course is closed to traffic in the race direction. The cool part about this race is it has some real topology with 400+ feet of climbing on a 4 mile loop. I was looking forward to this race, as I hoped it had less to do with tactics and more to do with ability. Of course, tactics make the race, they're just different in the climbing and descending.
Prep
I guess I could talk about another big training block during this week, including a heavy ride on Thursday night with Square Wheels. My intent after that ride, was to take an easy commute ride on Friday, unfortunately I got caught in the worst thunder storm of the year on the way home, so that became a 7 mile time trial to beat the storm. I lost, got drenched, and still put in way to much effort to get home.
I've been looking forward to this race for a while. Geoff is targeting the cat 5 for the win, and that gives me hope for my cat 4 race. We drove out to the course on Saturday for some preriding. The storm left debris everywhere. Leaves, sticks and even tree parts at one point. We were both concerned about the course conditions for the race. We did 2 loops, to check out both the decent and the climbs. Then rode another little climb to the park entrance and called it a day. I didn't feel great on the climb, but hoped to mostly rest on Saturday, aside from some work on the yard. That didn't quite work out, but it was the plan.
The course rises through some rollers along rt 21, mostly decends along 82, then climbs up to a false flat through the start/finish line. The climb is very similar to the Euclid Creek climb. It has the ramp at the bottom, it's not quite as steep, but is has a similar length and elevation from the start of the climb to the park exit.
The only complaint I heard about the race is the start time. The Cat 5 race starts at 7:00, so to get any warmup, you really need to get there at 6:00. Cat 4's started at 8:30, so I was planning on a 6:30-7:00 arrival.
The Race
Cat 5 and Womens race
I arrived at about 6:45 and got signed in, and ready to go. My plan was to watch the 4's and Women's race start and do a warm up loop. Then spectate a bit, chat with the other 4's to get info, and spinning around to get ready to go.
I knew a few of the 5's and 1 of the women in the field. I ended up catching the starts and hollering for the people I knew, then tooled around the lot looking for some warmup partners. I guess I need more warmup time than some, cause no one was really ready.
Caught the end of the first lap, with Geoff sitting on the front, so it looked like his plan was working well. I took off for my loop between the mens and womens fields.
They did a great job of cleaning the course up. There wasn't anything I could see except for damp roads from the evening rains. I did notice my rear wheel slipping on the tar sealing cracks on the climbs, and made a note to stay away from the right edge of the road while climbing.
Back at the top, I caught the women coming through at the end of lap 3. I rode next to Anna for a few hundred meters giving her encouragement, then waited for the 5's. I caught them at the end of lap 4. Geoff was still at the front, but looked to be breathing hard from the work on the climb. It turns out he was climbing in the 21 because he couldn't get into his 23.
More spinning, and I missed the finish of both races. Geoff ended up 4th overall. Extremely good considering his gearing. They did split the 5's by age grouping under 35 and over 35. I'm not sure where he ended up there. Anna finished the entire course, which is a great finish. She was the only cat 5/citizen in a field of 1 through 4's.
After the 5's race, I rode a bit with Geoff and got a run down on his view of the course. When to consider the 39, when to shift into the big ring. Any tidbit of info I could use, and I did use it.
Cat 4
I lined up with a guy I met through Square Wheels. His plan was to lead into the climb, so he could stay with the group for as long as possible. Lead in, and fade on the climb, then work his way back up through the lap. My plan was to survive, and stay with the lead group. Talking with a Lake Effect guy before the race, I described myself as being a reasonable climber and reasonable power rider. Pretty much OK at everything.
Through lap 1, I felt pretty good. It was interesting how the group compacted even on the little rollers on the back side. I was braking more than I wanted. I'm also very concerned about little gaps opening. I'd push to close, then the group would slow... and I'd be thinking about wasted energy. On the decent also, I expected to have people letting it go, but I was feathering the brakes, to maintain a small gap between myself and the next guy. Through the first climb, and I stayed about 10th wheel.
OK, 6 more, and I'd be fine. The second lap was pretty much carbon copy of the first. I'm comfortable, though pushing through some gaps. It's OK. up the second climb and around the for the third lap. Our average speed was 21.6 through the first 2. I think our pace picked up a bit here, as I noticed more guys struggling, including myself. Relax... nice and easy, save it for the climb.
Down the 3rd decent, I noticed Todd Bolgrin from Snake Bite sitting in the nice point at the sharp end of the pack. I marked him for the day then wondering if Snake Bite was going to try to spring him for the win. Third time up the hill, Brett Davis (Snake Bite) goes off the front, and leads up the climb. At the steep section of the climb, he shoots straight through the middle of the pack, and out the back. I made a "lead and fade" comment as I went by him. It was interesting to watch how the group flowed around him.
I'm not 100% sure what happened next. We crested the hill, and hit the false flat, and I noticed a small gap opening in front. I don't know if I got caught behind someone, of if they just accelerated away, but I knew I had to close it up. I heard Geoff coaching from sides "Close the gap". And that's what I tried to do, but it wasn't closing and I was blowing, and there was no one behind me to help. Not good. Brett recovered and made my wheel at the first turn, and we both tried to close, with no luck. We were not working together very well, probably because we were trying to figure out the next step of the race. I think we both were panicing a bit also. On the decent, we both gave it up when we couldn't see them, knowing that even if we did catch, they'd just blow us off on the climb again. All alone up the climb.
I followed Brett up the climb, and noticed a huge gear. I was looking for a 25 then, and he says he's running a 27. At the top of the hill, I suggest just trading pulls. He says he's thinking of sitting up and waiting for the group to come around. No Way! I off on my own. I made a time trial comment to Geoff as I go around, and find out the Square Wheels guy at the front, has punctured out.
I make it about half way around, and I keep hearing Brett behind me. He might not have been sitting on, but he's not far back. Then he tells me 2 more are gain. So I sat up a bit and let Brett work the front, while an Orrville, and an AGR rider pull up. It's the same Orrville guy I chased with at the second Covered Bridge race Once they connected, I organized us into a nice 4 man rotating pace line. Good thing I rode with Square Wheels on Thursday night, cause I applied everything I learned to get the chase going. These guys knew how to do it, once I said what we'd do, and we were off.
The AGR guy took the lead down the decent, with me next, and he dropped like a rock. I did tap the brakes once, but was pretty happy with were I was. Then I came around and pulled into the corner and up the hill. Every man for himself going up, with the intent of regrouping at the top. Orrville and I at the front, Brett and AGR somewhere behind. We crested, regrouped and started working again. Orrville dropped off somewhere, and then there were three. We picked up Chris from Lake effect and a leech he had on his wheel, and tried to get them to join up. They each took a pull or two, then dropped off alone somewhere. I told AGR I wanted him on the front for the decent, and we played the same game through the climb. This time, I was on my own.
Click to enlarge (Thanks for the pic, Don) Regrouped at the top again, and started the last lap. We're still working well together, but the games are starting... and I didn't see it. On the back side, Brett didn't pull through before the decent. AGR pushed to the front to decend, and I again was tapping the brakes. I guess I should have just hammered it instead.
We hit the bottom of the climb, and AGR popped off. I looked through and Brett was on my wheel. There was a couple of guys ahead on the climb, so my goal was to catch one of them. Then Brett laid down a big attack. Again, I probably should have just buried myself here. He got about 50 meters before the top, so I was chasing hard from there. He was also gaging his effort by where I was. Neither of us caught the guy ahead, and Brett got me by that distance. Half in jest, I cussed him out, saying I worked my butt off for him, he could have given me the place.
Post
Turns out I was right about Bolgrin. It ended in a sprint between him and the Time Trial champion that I've raced with at RATL. We were about 4 minutes down, if the time keepers were accurate.
I was 20/38 with about 10 non-finishers. 1:20 and some change over 28.3 miles for an average of 21.3 mph. Not bad, but I'm still pretty disappointed. I really think I could have done much better, if I wasn't so stupid in my week preparation. Too many miles, especially with Square Wheels, too much work on my Storage Barn, not enough recovery. I guess I need more down time right before an event. Better to learn it now, than when I get to the A events. The worst part is I seem to do this pretty regularly, the good thing, is I tend to get into nice chase groups that give me practice at other skills.
