Fitchburg Masters Race Results - 7-4-08
The Fitchburg Time Trail is 6.9miles that climbes at roughly 3% for a total 860 feet and ends with 1 km of downhill to the finish. There is always great debate on weather a heavier aerodynamic TT bike or a light wieght road bike is better for this course. I chose a TT bike because I do not get to use my TT bike much and really looks cool with a heavy full carbon trispoke back wheel.
Since I am not competetive in this event and is not a target goal for me, I choose just to ride a hard tempo pace (slow) so that I would not finish with sore legs and fresh for the killer RR tomorrow. I finished with a slow 20:33 time. The winner in the Masters was Roger Asphome at 17:00:59, 21mph, this would have won 2nd place in the cat 2 race, but only 27th in the blazing Pro 1’s.
All the results:
http://www.longsjo.com/Results_files/Download_Stage_One_Results.pdf
The 58 mile Road Race is 5 laps around a 10 mile course in front of Mount Wachusettes and then climbes to the 15% grade finish at the top of the Mount. Highlites of this course are 3 tough climbes per lap, a short one at the ball fields, a two step climb at Princeton to the feed zone and the KOM climb in front of the State park. Another attraction of this course is the infamous 50+mph decent from the State Park entrance known to take out many pro and amature racers alike.
My strategy for this race was two fold and simple, gu up every lap, and be near the front at the baseball fields to survive the attacks that occur there and on the Princeton climb.
This year racers were welcomed at sign in with pouring rain that thankfully backed off to a light rain for the duration of the race. I was not dicouraged since results tend to improve in rain.
The Masters race started wet and casual with an easy ride up the climbs, then on the second lap 6 riders escaped off the front but, hovered just in site. The blocked pack loidered on until a viscious pace at Princeton broke the pack with 20 riders up front and the rest with me in the back. The front pack caught the break, slowed a bit and was joined by my group after the big decent. A third lap attack at Princeton broke the pack again, only to come together before the KOM climb.
This course is tougher than most riders and spits them out without attacks and the 4th & 5th laps settled into a rythem, slowly draining legs of life. The Masters race passed the Cat 3 race just prior to last strong run up Princeton hill. I was the last man in the pack through the feed zone, and jubilent of a first time persumtive pack finish in this race.
The pack dogged it to the entrance of the State park then hit the hills hard to the top of Wachusettes. I couldn’t maintain the pace and did a solo TT to the finish of the race finishing 41st, 2:29 down.
Two more races to go.