All Fields GMSR Prologue/Stage 1 - Scott Brooks 8-31-07
The first stage in the GMSR prolouge is now complete, and the NEBC had a very good showing. In the men’s 3 race, Gary Douville took fifth place in a competive front group, Dave Chiu, Greg Brown, Scott Brooks and Jesse Chebot finished just outside of the points, but are poised for greater things in the coming days.
In the men’s P/1/2 race, Chris Hong, Roy van Cleef and Peter Bradshaw hung tough, preserving the legs for the circuit race.
The women’s 3/4 field saw Sam Dery near the front.
Finally, in the men’s 4 races, 32+ and 32-, several riders rode very strong, with Brian Anderson inside the top 20.
Full results to be posted shortly. For those not familiar with the prologue, it is a mass start race over 8.2 miles. The first two miles are neutral, followed by a slight false flat for two miles. From there the race climbs 1730 feet, with a KOM in the middle. As soon as the field hits the climb, it is like a bomb going off in the pack, with the riders almost immediately strung out. Unlike Fitchburg or other stage races, GMSR is based on points. The top 50 riders get points towards the overall standings. It takes a heads up rider to recognize when they are at their limit, and where they are in the points for the day. Aside from personal pride, the rider who finishes 51st gets the same number of points as the rider at 100, except that the expend a lot more energy.
Great racing done by all, it’s off to dinner, then bed early. Racing
starts at 8:30 tomorrow. More to follow.