A large group gathered in the Park & Ride. While Ace is still out sick, some solid riders were there: Denzil Hathaway on his TT bike, Patrick Hogan, Matt Albanese, Mike Faber, Mark Lahuec, and more. The Wheelsucker had hoped to warm up before the ride started, but was engaged by a newcomer asking about the ride, so no warm up.
When Nick Vita rolled in the Wheelsucker announced to Rick Paukstitus that it was a "Plan F1" ride.
The group rolled out and the Wheelsucker held a place far back in the group and struggled to warm up and feel good. There were some surges and small gaps would open. And everytime the Wheelsucker let the gap to to wheel in front grow to more than a couple of feet, someone would start to come around him, as if they were expecting the Wheelsucker to pop.
Kyle Jones was looking good. Will was looking good. Tom Aga was looking good; so was Rick.
The Wheelsucker was starting to wonder if everyone else was having a good day, or if he was having a bad day.
Going into the dip Nick Vita drove the pace and then attacked on the first little wall on the climb out.2. Patrick Hogan and several others chased after him. The Wheelsucker put down all he had and caught them, but they all eased up soon enough.
The Wheelsucker was watching Nick carefully on Harwood Hill. The pace was steady, but not ridiculous early in the climb. The Wheelsucker was trying to follow, trying to not be blocked in, and trying to watch Nick, all while minimizing the effort. Kyle Jones rolled by him, apparently going easily and once again the Wheelsucker wondered if he was just having a hard day. And then on the little flat section before the top, Nick went. Nick went so hard that no one went with him. Sure, some tried, but no one was close. There was a large gap at the top. The Wheelsucker was one of the first chasers to the top, but was disinclined to lead the chase. So he pulled over and Matt Albanese did a massive pull to bring back Nick. Just holding his place in line was draining the Wheelsucker, and all he could do was gasp "Good Pull!" to Matt, when Nick was safely contained.
As soon as Nick was caught – and in truth he sat up – the pace eased, and everyone regrouped. The Wheelsucker watched and waited. It was still "gruppo compacto" at the base of the stairstep. The Wheelsucker had pulled out of line on the descent so he could get to Nick’s wheel. And he stayed glued to Nick’s wheel at the start of the climb. It was another steady-hard but not ridiculous pace until half way up the climb, Nick launched. The Wheelsucker was as ready as he could be, and calling down to the engine room for full Wheelsucker power (somehow this resulted in bouncing a wheel off the ground), he went after Nick.
And it worked!
Nick pulled to the top with the Wheelsucker able to follow. There was a significant gap to the pack behind. The Wheelsucker dreams of getting into a break with the strongest rider and getting a two to the finish line.
But that is not what happened.
Nick took a short hard pull and swung off. Knowing it would take hard efforts to keep the gap, the Wheelsucker gave it everything. A couple of quick glances at the power meter revealed 380 and 450 watts.
But it was not enough!
After each had taken a couple of short hard pulls, the group had caught back on. A strong rider or riders(s) in the group had seen the danger and worked to close the gap. Nick and the Wheelsucker gave up for the moment and drifted back to recover. The Wheelsucker tried to apologize to Nick for not being able to go harder.
The pace was fast on Bayard and around the sweeping right onto Polling House. The Polling House false flat and short wall at the golf course are good places to split the field, but one rider dropped a chain before the sweeping right, and the entire group soft pedaled. When Rick finally told the Wheelsucker to take it back up to speed, the group was halfway up the false flat. The Wheelsucker went to 400 watts and accelerated with everyone else following. Getting to the wall he stood and hammered as hard as he could, and could only watch as Nick, Patrick, Matt and another rider or two jumped by him. But this time the Wheelsucker was able to grab on to the back of these guys. Checking behind he saw a gap and told the others. But once again strong riders in the chase saw the danger and it was very quickly close down.
So it was still a large group up Polling House and back onto South Polling House. Mark Lahuec took the last pull downhill and started up the stairstep climb at a good pace. Then Rick attacked and got a gap. Mark pulled over and the Wheelsucker took over. Finally starting to feel warmed up, the Wheelsucker drove the pace. Mark stayed on his wheel. They caught Rick half way up the climb. The Wheelsucker was expecting Nick and maybe some others to come by in a counter attack, but as he and Mark reached the top he sneaked a look back and saw a gap to the group. Rick made it to the top third.
But the effort had cost Mark and the Wheelsucker, and they did not make a serious attempt to stay away. Indeed when the group came by it was going fast enough that the Wheelsucker had to work to get on at the back and stay on!
Down Bayard the group sped. A little later the Wheelsucker was on the front pulling. He got the group up to speed and pulled off, only to see the next few riders going by accelerating. Small gaps were opening. The Wheelsucker was looking for a gap to jump into behind a good wheel, but missed several. Seconds later it was a desperate chase down the last descent on Bayard, and part way to Sands. There were about 12 riders going very hard (probably with Denzil driving the pace at the front), a small gap to the Wheelsucker, and then a small gap to the group behind him. After going as hard as he could and getting within 2-3 bikelengths, the Wheelsucker pulled out of line. The leaders eased up and it was all back together, with a gasping Wheelsucker looking for a place to hide, near the back.
The pace eased a little on Sands and in a brief chat Rick and the Wheelsucker agreed that the race manual3 was awarding KOM points for Harwood Hill, the stairstep each time, and the climb out of the dip. The Wheelsucker knew Nick had led up Harwood Hill, but thought that the Wheelsucker had been second. And it had been Nick and the Wheelsucker 1,2, the first time up the stairstep, and the Wheelsucker, Mark and Rick 1,2,3 the second time.
Though he would have been in contention, Rick graciously said he would pull the Wheelsucker up the climb from the dip. As the group approached Rick asked Mike to pull part way up, but Mike declined. Rick – on his TT bike – ramped it up from the bottom, with the Wheelsucker going hard to stay on his wheel. Rick kept going and going, and going. The Wheelsucker was going into the red to stay on his wheel, and could sense riders behind him. Rick finally pulled off before the last slightly steeper section and the Wheelsucker stood up and hammered as hard as a tired, sore and aging Wheelsucker can hammer, and led at the top. He flicked his elbow and pulled over. Matt and Mike were on his wheel, Rick was gapped and there was a gap to the rest.
The Wheelsucker figured 2nd/, 2nd, 1st, 1st was good for the KOM for the night, particularly since Nick had gone 1,1,>4,>3, but could not spend much time working that out, as he still had to get to 214 and then the finish line.
The group was immediately back together, with the Wheelsucker safely tucked in about 4th or 5th wheel.
As the group approached the 214 intersection the light was red. But then it changed to green. The Wheelsucker sprinted for the light, crossing about level with Nick Vita. This is a short green light, and it seemed unlikely to the Wheelsucker that everyone would make it across. He and Nick speculated about the carnage at the back, and eased up to let everyone who could get across, make it back on. But a large enough group made it across.
As the finish line approached the Wheelsucker considered an attack at the penultimate dip. But with the large group and several strong riders on TT bikes, the Wheelsucker considered that his chances were slim. And in the meantime, Patrick Hogan was offering a lead out to Nick, so the Wheelsucker decided to follow Nick. Mark Lahuec attacked exactly where the Wheelsucker had considered going, near the bottom of the penultimate dip. With tremendous effort Mark got a small gap at the top of the climb, but was quickly shut down. Denzil was looking ready to go early, and there were some early jumps. But the Wheelsucker simply followed Nick, who was following Patrick, who was following Mike. And sure enough none of the other attempts accomplished anything because Patrick launched from the bottom of the last dip. Nick was easily holding his wheel seated. The Wheelsucker was immediately gapped and had to stand and sprint to stay on Nick’s wheel. This worked initially, but then Patrick peeled off and Nick launched, and the Wheelsucker had nothing to respond to that.
Nick rode away for the win, after all, it was uphill (see note 2, again). But somehow no one either followed the Wheelsucker or tried to come around him, and he crossed a distant second.
Wheelsucker Data:
From 214 to the finish:
Time: 1:07:33
Distance: 27.39 miles
Power: 220 watts average, 865 watts max, 281 watts normalized
Heart rate: 135/161 bpm
Cadence: 87 rpm average
Temperature: 83 F
Notes:
1 Plan "F" is when there are too many strong riders, we are F'd! Sit in!
Plans "B" and "C" are the same.
Plan "A" is when there are no dominating riders
2 Nick attacks on each and every climb!
3 There is no "race manual", Rick and the Wheelsucker just made this up, and did not tell anyone else about it. So no one else was contesting it.
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