The Wheelsucker arrived at the Park & Ride a little early and warmed up at an easy pace behind the P&R for two laps. Despite some experience riding – and even racing – in high heat earlier this season in Dallas TX, the Wheelsucker was noticing the heat, noticing the soreness in his legs, and was not feeling like putting down 400+ watts. He tried a couple of short harder efforts and quickly "ran out of gas" both times. Based on past experience where a long warm up helped, the Wheelsucker continued to warm up easy, hoping his legs and lungs would “come around” and he would have something for the training ride.
Once back at the P&R, a small group assembled. None of the "A" riders like Ace, Eric Boone, Mike Hefner of Patrick Hogan were there, but youth star Aaron Canale was there (wearing his school kit), Bob of Guy’s Racing visiting from the Philadelphia area, Jeff Chun (Bike Doctor), Tom Aga, Rick Paukstitus, Mike Faber, Aiden Palmer and a couple more.
The Wheelsucker got to the front for the left turn onto Rossback and pushed the pace a bit, before pulling over and letting Aiden and Aaron “have a go” (ahhh, the energy of youth …).
After his initial effort to get the group going, the Wheelsucker mostly sat in trying to be ready for Harwood Hill. The Wheelsucker went steady/hard on the second half of the climb, and was first at the top, but when he looked back his efforts had not gapped anyone. So the Wheelsucker sat in and recovered and waited for the South Polling House stairstep climb.
The riders leading at the foot of the stairstep went steady, so the Wheelsucker pulled around and drove the pace up the climb. About two thirds of the way up, the Wheelsucker sneaked a glance back and was disappointed to see everyone on his wheel, and apparently no one in difficulty except himself!
The Wheelsucker pulled off and let someone else "have a go."
But while no one was being gapped by the Wheelsucker's efforts, there was some attrition due to the heat and relatively high pace; one or two riders dropped off on Bayard.
At the last dip and climb on Bayard before the descent and sweeping right onto Polling House, the Wheelsucker maneuvered himself to the back and jumped hard off the back, on the descent. Pedaling as hard as an aging Wheelsucker can pedal (seriously, not that far off his all time high one second power spike), the Wheelsucker flew by the group, and opened a small gap as he sprinted up the other side.
Except it didn't work.
Aaron was on the front taking long steady pulls and to the Wheelsucker's disappointment, Aaron fairly easily accelerated and closed the gap to the Wheelsucker. By the top of the short climb, the Wheelsucker was spent and demoralized, while Aaron had closed the gap to his wheel, and the rest of the group was only a couple of bike lengths behind. So the Wheelsucker sat in to lick his wounds and recover.
There was some more attrition shortly after the Polling House false flat (by the golf course) and the rest of Polling House (which trends up with a few bumps). Most riders were taking short pulls to avoid going into the red, the major exception seemed to be Aaron, who seemed comfortable riding steady on the front. The Wheelsucker decided he had been burning matchsticks with no apparent benefit, so while he would try to accelerate the group to a faster pace while he was on the front, he was careful to stay within his limits and pull off while he still had enough reserve to get on at the back.
But the heat and steady pace were taking a toll; some riders were running out of water, or were overheating, and the attrition continued. On the second South Polling House stairstep climb, Jeff Chun went early and opened a gap. Aaron was on the front (again) taking a longer steady pull. The Wheelsucker pulled left out of line wanting to be free to go when someone started chasing Jeff, but no one went after him. Two thirds of the way up the climb the Wheelsucker decided to “have a go” himself, and easily accelerated and started closing the gap to Jeff.
And no one came with him!
Jeff led at the top and making the right turn onto Bayard, but the Wheelsucker was closing fast; he rolled by and made sure Jeff was on his wheel. For a moment the Wheelsucker forgot the heat, forgot that his earlier efforts had come to naught, and considered that he and Jeff had a gap and no one was pulling really hard. Caught up in the moment, the Wheelsucker spun harder on the pedals, trying to open the gap and get away with Jeff.
But his best effort accomplished nothing, and Aaron pulled the remains of the group up to Jeff's wheel very quickly. So the Wheelsucker pulled off to recover at the back and reconsider his strategy.
The Wheelsucker was suffering. There were few attacks, and most of the riders were content to take a short pull and then move over. The pace was generally steady, and most of the time easy enough that the Wheelsucker could recover a bit at the back. But everyone seemed to be under stress and suffering, except perhaps Aaron.
The Wheelsucker was going through his fluids at an alarming rate. The one bottle of sport beverage was almost empty and the remaining contents were hot. His smaller bottle still had some water, but the Wheelsucker had to decide whether to pour a scant few drops on his head to help cool him down, or to drink those few drops. And either way there were not enough drops to get him to the finish.
The Wheelsucker remembers following Aidan Palmer’s wheel several times. Aidan was also working hard, was slowly turning red due to his efforts and his junior gears were forcing him to spin at a high cadence on the flats and downhills. But despite working hard Aidan was taking his pulls, and making it on the back each time. Somewhere on Sands or after the left turn onto Harwood/Patuxent River Road there was some more attrition due to mechanicals and the heat, and then the group was down to five riders.
The climb out of the dip where the Patuxent River sometimes floods Patuxent River Road was the last noticeable climb on the route.
The Wheelsucker decided that he had been going well on the climbs so far – quickly forgetting that his efforts on each earlier climb had accomplished exactly nothing – and drove the pace from the bottom. The Wheelsucker went at his hardest sustainable pace up the climb, hoping he could shake loose a rider or two.
And this time it worked! When the group accelerated off the top one rider had nothing left to accelerate with and was gapped. Except that rider was the Wheelsucker! Oops!
The other four opened the gap, with the Wheelsucker unable to respond. The gap opened! But the Wheelsucker had one more card up his sleeve!
The lead four were approaching the 214 intersection. When the Wheelsucker came around the last turn, desperately pursuing but seeing the gap open, the light was green. But as they approached the intersection it turned to amber and then to red. The Wheelsucker believes he willed this to happen. The Wheelsucker sheepishly caught back on and recovered while they all waited for the light to change. He told the others he had pressed a hidden button on his handlebars to get the light to turn on them.
The Wheelsucker considered what to do next. Everyone was clearly spent (except perhaps Aaron); Jeff told the Wheelsucker he was not going to sprint and offered to lead the Wheelsucker out. Bob from Guy's Racing was taking short pulls. With all or most suffering it should have been a good time for an attack by the Wheelsucker, but he doubted he had another attack in him. He was out of fluids, his calves were cramping, he was very hot; of course, so were the other four riders!
With little strength and no determination left, the Wheelsucker let it come down to the sprint.
Aaron was on the front yet again. The Wheelsucker was last in line, following Jeff. The Wheelsucker considered going early climbing out of the penultimate dip. He knew he could surprise the others by jumping at the bottom and sprinting up the climb. He knew they were tired and would not want to chase, but he also knew he did not have enough left to keep the pace high on the flat and down the last dip and then sprint for the line. So he waited.
Aaron finally pulled off and pulled back in behind the Wheelsucker. The Wheelsucker's last request to Jeff was to "go late." The small group went down the last dip and started to climb up the false flat to the finish. Jeff accelerated slowly so the Wheelsucker was able to go with him. They easily passed the two riders in front of them -- one of whom had taken a long last pull –– but even as Jeff accelerated the Wheelsucker found himself struggling to stay on his wheel, and then Aaron came off his wheel to the left and accelerated. The Wheelsucker had nothing except calf cramps and simply could not pedal any harder.
And Aaron "I cannot sprint" Canale powered up level with Jeff. Realizing what was happening Jeff kept going for the line, and the two reached it nearly even. A spent Wheelsucker crossed well behind, ahead of the two riders who did not sprint at all.
and considered that he was rather lucky not to be standing on the side of the road with a flat, 15 miles from his car.
Later, back in the P&R, the Wheelsucker noticed his inner tube starting to bulge out of a tire cut
Wheelsucker Data:
From rollout at P&R to the finish line
1:23:08
32.58 miles
200 watts average power, 958 watts max
139 bpm average, 163 max
85 rpm average cadence
23.54 mph average speed
temperature 92-107 degrees F!!!!!
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