Tuesday April 3rd Training RideThe Wheelsucker Report

Last week the Wheelsucker was hanging on at the back until he made a big effort to get to Ace’s wheel when Ace attacked on Sands. The Wheelsucker made it to Sizzler’s wheel (Sizzler was on Ace’s wheel), but most of the rest of the group was on the Wheelsucker’s wheel, and the Wheelsucker burned so many matchsticks he couldn’t even stay on, and was OTB a few seconds later.

So the Wheelsucker was desperate to make it to the lead group – and STAY with the lead group -- this week. And a desperate Wheelsucker will stop at almost nothing; even if it means skipping pulls and wheelsucking …

A large group rolled out of the Park & Ride. The Wheelsucker has instructions from his coach:

“Group ride. Ride how you feel today: If tired, sit in at heart rate 1-3 zones; if fresh, ride race efforts in all zones. Be smart.”

Early on the Wheelsucker was not sure how he felt. Even though the ride was easy to 214 (unlike last Tuesday) the Wheelsucker was not feeling relaxed, powerful and strong. Of course, the Wheelsucker NEVER feels relaxed, powerful and strong, but he imagines that the good riders do. So the Wheelsucker sat in, far enough back he could hide from the wind, and waited to see what would happen. Que sera, sera, thought the Wheelsucker.

The pace finally went up going down into the dip where Patuxent River Road sometimes floods. Ace was on the front on the descent and then punched it on the small wall and the start of the shallow climb. Pete Penzell was with him. The line stretched momentarily, but most riders were still relatively fresh and the line held as the pace got harder. The Wheelsucker was trying to be far enough back to hide from the wind, not be behind anyone he thought might be gapped, and generally not too far back in case something went. But riders were rotating back, and inevitably the Wheelsucker got near the front. The Wheelsucker thinks he may have taken a token pull on the way to Harwood Hill, but cannot remember clearly.

Ace and Pete went on Harwood Hill, with a third rider with them. The Wheelsucker thinks he arrived at the top of Harwood Hill about 4th, so very temporarily was leading the chase. The Wheelsucker took two very short, hard pulls, swapping with another rider, while a chase formed on their wheels. Several riders jumped clear and made it up to the lead three. Then the Wheelsucker was able to pull off and go back and hide. The desperate chase caught the lead group shortly before the right turn onto route 2. The Wheelsucker was carefully positioned near the back. The Wheelsucker was not looking behind him, his gaze being fixed on the rear wheel in front of him, but the group did seem distinctly smaller.

A few riders rotated back on the way to the South Polling House stairstep, putting the Wheelsucker somewhere in the pack. On the last descent into the sweeping left he pulled out to the left, wanting to be in the passing lane if and when something went. Following wheels he somehow found himself riding second wheel half way up. The Wheelsucker was expecting a move to come by on his left and kept checking, and then ex pro Pete Penzell came by at a steady pace. Someone to the Wheelsucker’s right yelled, “Go!” The Wheelsucker reluctantly understood this was directed at him, and he pulled left onto Pete’s wheel and called down to the engine room for some acceleration. AND IT WORKED! It turned out that Pete was not going especially hard, so the Wheelsucker held his wheel to the top and the right turn onto Bayard. Pete continued his pull a short distance up Bayard before pulling off. Determined to be conservative (and after all, a wheelsucker), the Wheelsucker simply pulled through and over. And Ryan Guttridge came by and pulled. The Wheelsucker looked over his right shoulder for the back of the line and to his surprise, realized he WAS the back of the line. It was just the three of them, with some sort of a gap to the next rider. The Wheelsucker could not figure out what had happened. Pete had not been going that hard, as evidenced by the Wheelsucker staying on his wheel for the top half of the climb, without going to his limit.

Perhaps someone like Ace or Eric Boone eased up and the group eased up with them, knowing they would close it down when they chose? The Wheelsucker did not speculate on this for long, as he was completely focused on holding Pete’s wheel. And the rest of the group was back on seconds later.

Riding third wheel he rotated to the front again far too soon, pulled through and over, and went to the back to hide again. Ace, Eric, and Ryan may have been sore from racing Jeff Cup over the weekend, because they were not putting in the super hard efforts that typically are the end of the Wheelsucker’s hopes to hang on at the back. Pete was looking very relaxed and comfortable, even though he was riding a classic Colnago with a single chainring, perhaps eight cogs in the back, and some very styling (but definitely not weight weenie) Campagnolo Delta brake calipers.

Though probably shrinking slowly through attrition, it was still “gruppo compatto” past the false flat at the golf course (what used to be the fat man’s sprint when done in the opposite direction).

The Wheelsucker was carefully trying to be far enough back to hide well, but not behind riders who might be gapped, so occasionally he would find an excuse to move up a couple of riders, to reposition.

And then, part way to the right turn onto South Polling House for the South Polling House stair step, “part deux”, Ace put in a hard dig. There was a mad scramble from those near the front to accelerate and find wheels. The line stretched, and then the elastic broke and the gap was opened.

But the Wheelsucker did not panic. There was a split in front of him, and almost certainly more behind him, but he was on Iain Bank’s wheel, and Iain was riding his tri bike. Iain was not surging as quickly as the others, so the Wheelsucker decided Iain was the perfect rider to smoothly close the gap. The Wheelsucker got low and aero, went to full wheel sucker power and hung on. AND IT WORKED! Iain pulled the Wheelsucker across the gap and to the back of the newly formed lead group.

Ace kept the pressure up to open the gap, and it was significant by the time the lead group turned right onto South Polling House. The pace eased up to something more sustainable, but still fast. The Wheelsucker quickly counted heads and decided he was in a lead group of seven. The Wheelsucker’s concern was that the other six were: Ace McDermott, ex pro Pete Penzell, Eric Boone, Ryan Guttridge, Iain Banks (on a tri bike), and Patrick Hogan. The Wheelsucker figured Hogan was the weakest of the others but still easily strong enough to drop the Wheelsucker. And the next thing on the agenda was the South Polling House stairstep “part deux”.

The Wheelsucker tried to stay at the back, conserve energy and prepare himself. But now that the split had happened, everyone seemed content to go steady. So there was no hard attack on the stairstep. Indeed the Wheelsucker had been so keyed up in expectation, he went hard and steady (for an aging Wheelsucker) off the bottom and found himself leading the line at the halfway point on the climb. Then there was a gentle push from behind, propelling him forward and to the left, and Pete Penzell came by (later, during cooldown, Pete told the Wheelsucker he had been concerned the Wheelsucker was about to have a cardiac arrest, so had pushed him a little). The Wheelsucker made it to the top with the other six.

From there it was wheelsuck, occasionally take short pulls, occasionally just pull through and HANG ON! And wait for the next few places where the Wheelsucker was most vulnerable.

But the Wheelsucker was still there after the last Bayard bumps, and was still there after the right turn onto Sands. The Wheelsucker was dreading Ace’s preferred second-bump-on-Sands attack point, but the group went through without an Ace attack. The Wheelsucker was carefully following wheels through the dip and sprint up the hill at the top of Sands, and was slightly gapped behind Pete at the turn, but made it back on, knowing that if he could not, there was still Iain behind him on the TT bike to close it.

Then it was the climb out of the Patuxent River Road dip, but again without an attack. Near the top the Wheelsucker looked over as Ace pulled by on the right and asked Ace if he ever hoped for a red light. Ace replied, “No, but I have hoped for a flat at times.” The Wheelsucker was fortunate that there was a short red light; he needed the respite. Two or three riders rolled across with speed and the Wheelsucker was gapped again, but pulled over and let someone else close it, safely tucking in at the back. The Wheelsucker was still being hyper careful and attentive in case something went, but there are few places on this last section where an attack might work well, and no one was inclined to attack.

Not far from the finish the Wheelsucker rotated through to the front again. He took a decent pull carefully not going too hard, and pulled off shortly before the sports park and the penultimate dip. The pace seemed to have eased up slightly and the Wheelsucker made it on the back OK. Then it was up the last bump onto the last flat. Pete Penzell was doing long lead out. The Wheelsucker figured Eric and Iain would not sprint and pulled past Iain, while Eric pulled out and when to the back. The Wheelsucker was on Patrick Hogan’s wheel. Then it was down the last dip and starting the false flat climb to the finish. After Pete pulled off, Ryan did leadout, and then Ace launched. So Patrick launched. So the Wheelsucker launched.

And Ace rode Patrick off his wheel, while Patrick rode the Wheelsucker off HIS wheel. Ace kept going while Patrick and the Wheelsucker burned all remaining matchsticks and coasted across, in that order.

So the Wheelsucker was third out of the three riders sprinting. But he was with the lead group. Maybe that is success for the Wheelsucker.

Wheelsucker data:
From the dip on Patuxent River Road where it sometimes floods (and where Ace drove the pace) to the finish line:

Time: 1:00 (one hour)
Power: 245 watts average, 828 watts max, 282 watts normalized
HR: 149/166 bpm
Cadence: 92 rpm average, 127 maximum
Speed: 25.84 mph average, 39.28 maximum
71 degrees F average

This might have been the fastest Tuesday ride on the new route, yet.