Myles Standish Pro/1/2 report 4-23-08
Myles Standish Pro/1/2 – Sunday April 20, 2008 10 laps of a rolling 5 mile course with one short climb (originally 12 laps, but the race was shortened mid-way through)
30+ starters, 30 finishers
This was the first “official” race for the cat 2 team this season, a short-ish, fun, punchy big-ring circuit race that usually attracts a decent cross section of riders but is not so big we’re drowning in a sea of pros and cat 1s. Sadly, the race seems to be less popular year after year, and the pavement certainly isn’t getting any better, which is all too bad because the race is still well run and organized. I was particularly saddened to see that this year’s edition didn’t even include a full set of women’s fields, instead settling on the single “women’s open” field, which I thought was a cop-out (I’m looking at you, too, Jay Kulpinski). I was glad that many NEBCers showed up and made that an interesting race anyway.
For the Pro/1/2 race we had Roy, who had ridden to the race from the Cape; Peter, “fresh” from riding Battenkill the day before; and me, the less said about which the better. Last year this race was really aggressive but ended in a bunch gallop, but this year many of the riders were tired from Battenkill the day before and so our only team plan was to be aggressive and opportunistic with respect to moves off the front. Given that the race was relatively short, the right early move could have a real advantage: long enough to build up a good gap, but not so long that it becomes a death march. The teams to watch appeared to be the Fuji “masters” team, Independent Fabrications, and Kenda/Raleigh.
Kenda attacked from the gun, sending Jason Beerman off the front. I’d heard that he had flatted 50 miles into Battenkill and he obviously had some pent-up aggression to work out. As I drifted forward and backward through the field during the first lap, warming up my legs, I saw a group containing Roy go off the front after Kenda, but they came back before the lap was over. Jason then soloed off again and I saw Roy on the front as we passed the start, so I rode up to see if I could help. I figured he was trying to instigate a chase so he could reshuffle things and get another break going, so I went right to the front and did some work. To my surprise the field didn’t follow, so I just slid off the front, slowly ramping it up so as to not provoke the peloton into reacting. After clearing the terrible cracked pavement after the first corner I looked back and saw that Mark McCormack (Fuji) had joined me; his advice to me was “keep pedaling.” He and I worked to catch Jason just as we hit the hill, after which we were joined by Rite Aid pro Robbie King. Shortly after that a Slipstream developmental rider got within sight of the break, only to flat, but his companion, Sakonnet rider Danny Estevez, made it across.
A side note about racing with Mark McCormack: he’s a really nice guy, but a bit dry, and he’ll tell you what is on his mind without resorting to insults or excessive display. Sometimes his comments are helpful, and often they are subtly or overtly mocking. You have to kind of take it in stride; often you can laugh.
Looking at the break I knew I was one of the weaker links, but also that I was suffering from the initial efforts of establishing the move and from lack of anaerobic training in general. I figured that once the break got established and the others tired a bit that we would settle into a more aerobic pace and I would feel better, and that thought kept me stuck to the group as we rotated quickly around the course. Another huge help was the large group of NEBCers and friends in the parking lot, cheering and sharing news of the race.
Of the five in the break, only Mark and I hadn’t raced Battenkill the day before, but Robbie and Jason looked bulletproof despite being tired. At first I was behind Robbie King and he was pulling through hard enough to crack me. I worked to reshuffle things so I could ride behind Jason or Mark, who were smoother, and that helped; later in the race Robbie told me he was trying to crack the whip on the rest of us—meaning to fatigue us with the accerations—and he was sure effective at it. You’ve gotta be pretty confident in your strength to play a break like that.
Back in the field, Roy was sitting on the front and covering the various bridging attempts—usually in the form of attacks on the hill. Jake Keough (Sakonnet) was one of the more animated riders—despite having a teammate in the break—but Kenda was keeping him shut down. Eventually he managed to pull clear and brought Roy with him, and when Roy saw they had open road between them and the field he worked along with Jake to establish a gap that eventually topped 2 minutes over the field.
After Roy and Jake got away, Peter was on the front, looking for additional moves and otherwise playing defense. Indy Fab had missed both of the key moves and were lined up on the front, trying to control things and make progress on the two groups off the front. Despite many accelerations and the hard work of IF, the field stayed together and kept losing ground on the front groups, and I’m sure that Battenkill-related fatigue had a lot to do with that because the Indy Fab guys are strong and well-organized.
Back up in the break the Sakonnet rider was beginning to come apart and I realized I might not be the first one voted out. Robbie King led into the hill on the 6th lap and just casually smoked us all; not an attack, he just rode too hard for us, and he eased up and we caught him shortly after. It was my turn to lead on the next lap and I attempted to ride hard enough to forestall attacks yet not kill myself, but it wasn’t enough: McCormack and Robbie nailed it up the hill. Jason and I scrambled and just managed to reconnect at the top but the Sakonnet rider was long gone and the break got that much harder. Fortunately, the next lap up the hill was easier, and at the top the pace car told us they had shortened the race by two laps and by the way it was just two to go (really 1.5 to go). Fine with me, referee man. The remainder of that lap was a bit easier and I began to think about the finish and about going aggro if I managed to get to the final miles with the group. I didn’t think it would make a difference but I had nothing to lose.
As it turned out, I came to the front again as we approached the hill for the final time. I knew if I took it easy that they would eat me alive so I faked a show of strength and charged up the hill, then quickly ducked behind Mark at the back before anyone could see I was toast. Robbie and Mark were nailing it for the final half lap and it was super hard to come around them, and aggressive thoughts were becoming a forgotten dream. As we rode the final half lap and passed the pond I pulled off the front and watched Jason Beerman throw down over a small riser; Mark and Robbie responded, I was left for dead. I got comfortable with my new solo status and chased, watching them play games with each other. I had managed to just latch on as we rounded the corner to the parking lot when Mark looked back, saw I was on, then jumped the other two guys really hard and held that to the line. I was sold out and rolled in for 4th. Mostly I was glad to see that thin white finish line.
Roy’s group caught the Sakonnet rider from our group about a lap before their finish, making it two on one. Jake Keough asked Roy if he was going to contest the sprint, and Roy said he would just help keep the pace high, stay clear of the field, and take 7th spot, and so he did. In the field, Peter was still looking for late moves to follow, and a few promising ones went but nothing was sticking when he was present. The good news on the day was that Peter finished the race with nary a flat, and between that, his performance at Battenkill, and the other results of the day, I think we can declare that progress has been made.
After the race Roy pointed out that we were the only cat 2s who made the front moves, which was kinda cool even if it probably had a lot to do with giving Battenkill a miss.
Todd