ABRT 1st, US Navy 2nd

Most countries couldn’t take on the US Navy, but ABRT found it self taking on the US Navy (well, at least the Naval Academy Cycling Team) Sunday, when a contingent of fit and warmed up Navy riders arrived at the Davidsonville Park & Ride just before rollout. Consider that we are in the off season for most cyclists and just starting racing season for college cycling.

After what seems like weeks of cold and frequently miserable weather, a starting temperature of 33 F and overcast sky seemed like near optimum conditions; there was a large turnout.

Immediately after turning left onto Rossback Rd. the group got up to decent speed, without any warmup. This was a sign of what the ride was going to be like. It seemed to the wheelsucker that he was close to maxed out for the next one hour and fifteen minutes, struggling to hang on at the back. It seemed like small groups of stronger riders some Navy, some ABRT, kept trying to go off the front and the pack would speed up to bring them back. And any intersection or the route two traffic circle was an invitation for a small group to jump off the front, while the rest waited for traffic to clear, and then chased. The last attack was chased down after getting through the circle, and the group rolled into the rest stop together.

All too soon the group was off again. Two stops to fix flats before leaving North Beach, and a stop for a pile up when a car starting to come out of a driveway on the right (with the driver not looking) spooked several riders and caused a nine rider pileup, allowed the stragglers to rejoin. After the pileup mess was sorted out, the group went up the road towards Rosehaven, with those not in perfect form dreading the climb out. On the climb, the wheelsucker was pleased to see Ace McDermott patrolling the back, waiting to help riders going OTB; though no names will be mentioned here. There were no attacks on the horse farm climb, partly because Alex Pline got to the front and controlled the pace, but sure enough EVERYBODY who thought they had some form was waiting for the wall, and several very strong riders got off the front and formed a lead group, with several others chasing. Traffic at the next intersection held up the lead group, so a number of chasers – including a desperate wheelsucker -- caught on. After crossing Bay Front Road (258) several of the more senior ABRT riders got to the front on the false flat and were able to control the pace for awhile to make sure no one was dropped and the group reformed. The wheelsucker particularly enjoyed Scott Olsen’s comment about wishing he were 25 like the college kids! The wheelsucker kept pointing out – to distract others from realizing that he was on the rivet – "don’t drop the pretty women!" But soon enough four or five Navy riders came around and ramped the pace back up. The next challenge was the rollers/climbs after Nutwell Sudley Rd. becomes Sudley Rd. There were several efforts from stronger riders, but the wheelsucker was able – only just – to grab a wheel each time and take the tow up to the lead group. It seemed to the wheelsucker that the Navy was pushing hard, but Ryan and Ace were always ready willing and able. At one point the wheelsucker looked back and realized the lead group was down to eight or nine, but then a long wait for a break in traffic at the left turn off of route 2 onto Harwood Road allowed most of the main pack back on, though some of the pretty women were MIA. However the amazing Amanda Wu was hanging tough as was a female navy team rider.

The group stayed together to 214 (and the red light at 214 helped the group reform) despite a few efforts to get off the front. Part way to the finish line the wheelsucker told Ace McDermott and Ryan Guttridge that the wheelsucker would go early at the sprint (if he was still with the lead group at that point) and try to get the Navy riders to chase, so Ryan could position Jeff for the sprint. There were no more serious attacks on the way to the finish, the wheelsucker was able to stay with the group. Somehow the wheelsucker found himself about 15th in line going down the penultimate dip, just about where he wanted to be. As promised to Jeff and Ryan, the wheelsucker went to full wheelsucker power (reaching an impressive-for-an-aging-out-of-shape-wheelsucker 866 watts average for 5 seconds) as he neared the bottom of the dip, and pulled out to the left of the line. He had the satisfaction of going by the approximately 14 riders in front of him, at speed, as he stood and sprinted up the short steep climb. The wheelsucker finds it very difficult to accelerate sharply once a climb has started, and hoped this would hold true for the other riders as he went by, and he had the advantage of his momentum, as he had started his acceleration while still going downhill. The wheelsucker emerged on the last flat with a useful gap, but nothing left in the engine room. While the wheelsucker had no expectation of actually making it to the line first, he did want to make it look good – it is all about the look – and needed to look strong enough that the Navy riders would chase. So – with apologies to Paul Sherwin – the wheelsucker dug deep into his suitcase of courage and in addition to setting his CP5seconds for the ride, he also set his CP10seconds through CP1minute maximums on the flat on the way to the last dip, though power was dropping all the way. As the bike angled down into the last dip the wheelsucker still had a small gap, but he was struggling to push 200 watts. A last push down the dip and part way up the other side was all he had left, the sprinters went by in a tight group, and the wheelucker hugged the right side of the road, sat up, and slowly pedaled for the line. Up the road the wheelsucker thought he could see Ace McDermott crossing the line first. As the group soft pedaled up the road to the Park & Ride the wheelsucker was told that the move had worked well. The Navy cycling team riders had jumped to close the gap, towing their sprinter up, with an always strong Ryan on their wheels, towing Ace up and dropping him off well positioned at about 200 meters. Ace did the rest (as Ace usually does ...)