State RR Report

Well long time, no racing. Today was my first race since the Watermelon Crit, and it would be my first race since upgrading to a Cat 2. The race was to be around 90 miles long and we started with 57 riders. The course is a long circuit of 18-19 miles, that consists of mostly long flat roads. However there is one little section of climbs on the far edge of the course. The finishing straight is around 2-3 miles long without any turns. The important part is downhill heading into the last 300-400 meters where it kicks up into a sweet uphill finish. I have always liked this course and have always done well here(2nd last year, 13th but 1st in field sprint the year before that). However I was figuring on a different story this time around. It was brutally hot outside, temperatures were hovering around 90 degrees by the end of our first lap. The race followed a typical road race format. A breakaway was allowed to go on the first lap and quickly got out of sight. All the big teams were represented aside from NorthEastern. After the break rolled away the rest of the field was just chillin. I was content if for no other reason than I really wouldn't be able to do anything about it. I was not feeling up to a breakaway and since it was only myself and Wade representing the Beacon squad we really didn't have the man power to do anything about it.

  The next 60 or so miles would be spent at a very relaxed and comfortable pace. So I rolled up my sleeves and attempted to even out my tan lines a bit. During our relaxation there was one crash that happened right in front of me that I managed to avoid. Relaxing was enjoyable but in this time that we spent relaxing would be passed by the Cat 3 field not once but twice. After the second time they were on their last lap so we were told not to pass them. The field seemed to be getting a little more eager, people actually appeared like they wanted the pace to go up. We were biting on the heels of the Cat 3's all the way to the finish. They finished and we got our bell lap. 

Having rolled through the finishing straight four times already I was nervous about the sprint because the downhill leading into the sprint was really fast. I was figuring on not being worth much in the sprint but still I would give it my best. The elevated pace had brought back two members of the break, a Van Dessel rider and Mike Lynch from Mambo Kings, this left just a few more riders up the road but gave us two more teams that would give chase. The pace was intense over the two climbs which opened gaps and shelled some riders. I managed to stay up in the front group, but I was hurting. We caught the break as we came onto the finishing straight. Now it was my turn to try and find a good wheel for the sprint. I saw a Van Dessel train forming on the left hand side of the road and jumped onto the back of it. This is where the real fun begins. Van Dessel had a sweeper that wanted the wheel I wanted. (A Sweeper is a rider that sits on the sprinters wheel and sits up as the sprinter takes off, thus opening a nice gap on everyone else.) At first he tried to gently move in and take the wheel from me; I puffed out my elbows and made it clear that I wasn't budging. Well that surely wouldn't stop him, so he started to get more forceful, and again I resisted. At around 800-900 meters the train began to take off, the sweeper then hit me so hard that my bike was at 40-45 degree angle off the ground. I got gapped as people shouted at him to knock it off, I chased down the gap as quickly as possible but I was really under-geared at this point. I lost that wheel and jumped to another, I cant remember who. The sprint opened up and at this point my legs are screaming at me, I stand up and turn my gear over as fast as I could. Once the gear was turned over I sat down and just spun it out, again as fast as I could. I was gaining as we crested the hill but it was too late. However I ended up finishing 6th.

My first race as a Cat 2, 90 miles, 3:33 min and a 6th place finish.(With Jr. gearing) I was really pleased with the way my race went. I picked up 4 points towards my Cat 1 upgrade and ultimately it was an awesome race. 

Til Next time,

        Patrick