Road Race

  

*I have a perfect plan, thumbs up

 Going into the race I had a clear strategy in mind.  I pride myself on being a race tactician; this plan however left me excited with the feeling of “I have a secret.”  The plan was to let the peloton dictate the pace.  I planned to sit in for as long as possible while conserving energy.  My strategy included riding near the front, and matching any attacks if they were put in. 

*Happy to be on a bike

The race director had told us to “take it easy” until we reached approximately the quarter mile mark. This would allow all the racers to safely make it up to speed and the peloton to develop.  There was a variety of cyclists in the race, some fast, some slower, and everything in between.  Starting slow allows everyone to find their pace sort themselves out. She must have been speaking French because as soon as she said go people were on the front and going full tilt…did you not hear a word that she just said, fools?  Luckily there were no crashes.

At the point the “racing” should have started, the quarter mile mark, I found myself about 8 or 9 bikes back from the lead with a 10 second deficit. It was time to implement my strategy. I accelerated around a group of about 5 riders and bridged to the group of 4 that was on the front riding tempo.

 

*Rollin' out

 Safely back within the confines of the lead group I settled back into a comfortable pace. At about the one-mile mark the guy leading us out, Ken, eased back his tempo as we started up a small hill. I briefly thought we were going to ride together, that was until another racer, Dylan, made a move to go off the front.

Dylan went quickly and formed a gap on our group. I didn’t want to risk him going free so I had to leave the small group and chase up to Dylan’s wheel. This was the race. I had to stay here on his wheel.

*Dylan making a break off the front

Within 2 miles Dylan and I had put about a minute into the peloton and about 30 seconds into the chase group we left behind.  My strategy was to sit in so I am not embarrassed to say I didn’t go to the front to help our break.  Dylan was riding very hard, I wasn’t sure if he knew I was on his wheel or not.  He never looked back and continued to mash his pedals.  It was strategy, not capacity, that kept me in his draft.  Dylan and I were flyin’ down the road, at one point on the flats I saw my bike computer at 22 mph, which on a road bike is hauling.  I, of course, was sitting in and under no exertion.  My plan was working perfectly.

*Here we come

*There we go

Dylan was a workhorse and we continued to put time into the chase group. I am not sure if we beat the volunteers to the turn-around, or we were engrossed in the race and didn’t pay attention, but we blew through the turnaround. We rode for about a minute before a support car told us, “You missed the turn-around, go back.”

It wasn’t anyone’s fault, and I wasn’t mad at all. I did feel bad for Dylan. He just rode really hard and now the gap that he broke was gone. In fact, after missing the turn, Dylan and I had about minute deficit to the new race leaders that did make the correct turn-around.

*Dylan riding tempo, I am just sitting in and enjoying myself  :)

Well so much for the plan, we had to chase down the new break away. I told Dylan, “Get on my wheel, I will pull us up to the break.” I gestured my thumb towards by back wheel as Dylan nodded.

I rode a high tempo in an attempt to get back to the lead…this wasn’t part of the plan going into the race, but I wanted to win. After about two miles of riding tempo Dylan fell off my wheel. I wish I could have pulled him all the way to the front but I think he began to suffer from his early efforts. 

*Making my move to catch the leaders

I continued to ride alone. With two miles left I caught second place. I didn’t have time to sit in and rest so I continued to move up and passed. I set my sights on first place. I could see him up the road. The distance wasn’t insurmountable. I rode my last tempo effort to close the gap. I knew the leader, Ken, was capitalizing on his break because I could see his back bobbing with the effort he was putting into the pedals as he rode in his big chainring.

I was on the leader’s wheel and we could see the finish line in the distance. It is a hilltop finish that was easily seen from what I estimated to be about a half mile out. I sat in on Ken’s wheel resisting my constant urge to “go” and try and jump a gap. Last year Ken out sprinted me on the last climb and beat me by a few seconds. This year I planned to repay the favor. “Patience,” I kept telling myself as the speed increased. Riding closely behind Ken I was monitoring his gear changes in anticipation of him making a move to sprint.

 

 

We hit the base of the climb with a quarter mile to go. I saw Ken’s chain drop two gears lower as he made a move. I was all over it and closed the small gap that developed. This was my chance. No longer able to contain myself I stood and hit the pedals with about 100 meters to go. I torqued my carbon crank for about 5 seconds before sitting back on my saddle. I made a quick check over my shoulder, the gap was busted open and Ken looked content to ride for second place.

*Making my final move, Ken is just outside the picture

 

*Cut the power, shut 'er down

I cruised across the finish line for the win. Ken and I had a good laugh about the race and “paybacks” as we slowed down. Dylan came in for 3rd place. He was a workhorse, I told him that he did an excellent job and that I felt bad for him because we blew the turn-around. He seemed happy after the race so I didn’t feel too bad. I again told him good job and thanked him for the work he did earlier. Regardless of where each of us finished, we all had fun, that’s all that matters in the end. Thanks to Corrie for the pictures!