While the Wheelsucker is usually (probably always) apprehensive about racing, the apprehension is highest shortly before the start of a race. Several days before the start, racing may seem like a good idea.
So the Wheelsucker signed up for the Tour of Page County Stage Race. This is the only MABRA Stage Race offering a 55+ field. The 55+ riders would race with the 35+ and 45+ masters riders, but be scored separately.
Hurray for Luray Road Race
Waiting for the neutral rollout to start
The Wheelsucker arrived at the Hurray for Lurray Road Race staging area -- Luray High School – to prepare. The masters were the third field in the second wave. The women had been part of the first wave. The ABRT women had pulled off another one, sending Amanda Watson up the road early in the race while the competition just watched Katy and Ainhoa. Amanda soloed for most of the race and finished with a three minute fifteen second lead over second place!
Amanda's solo win in the RR
And second place was Katy Giles who started her sprint early and won the field sprint, with Ainhoa Perez-Diaz third, the competition –mostly Alexis Zink – was fourth, Sue McQuiston fifth, all in the same time, though small time bonuses were awarded. Nikki was slightly off the back after having attacked the field and dangled off the front for six miles, and then been caught a little short at the sprint.
As above, the masters race was a combined field of 35+/45+/55+. There were riders who normally ride cat 1/2/3 entered. The Wheelsucker had one teammate in this combined field; Stephen Szibler was also racing 55+. While the field was not that large in each age category: 19 in 35+, 24 in 45+ and 7 in 55+, racing together resulted in a field of about 50.
The Hurray for Luray Road Race course is a bit like the All American road race course; there are narrow roads and the yellow line rule was being enforced, even when there is no yellow line. The masters were racing five laps, for 58 miles.
Right from rollout the field plugged the road, yellow line to shoulder. The Wheelsucker and Stephen were at the back and frantically trying to move up, but were completely unable to do so. They spent all of the first two laps either last, or just in front of last. The initial pace was hard on the short climbs, and the Wheelsucker was straining and gapped on several short climbs, and was thinking he was close to being dropped. Too bad about the pace being driven by all those strong cat 1 and cat 2 35+ and 45+ riders!
But gradually the intensity eased up, the Wheelsucker's perceived exertion came down and the Wheelsucker felt better. And eventually somewhere on the third lap, the Wheelsucker was able to work his way up closer to the sharp end. Kelly had several strong riders in 35+ and 45+ and they were working hard to get something going. There were attacks and chases. Some riders would stay away for awhile, but during the first half of the race everything was brought back.
The Wheelsucker was trying to get into a break, and went hard to follow attacks a few times, but everytime he chased someone was on his wheel and the attack went nowhere.
Other breaks were going up the road, but they were being brought back each time, though sometimes there was an extended chase. Eric Boone's recollection is a little different, he recalls the first break of two going off fairly early and staying away the entire race for the win.
Late in the race, the Wheelsucker gapped the field on a short climb, and rolled off the front by a few bikelengths. A 45+ rider came up and off they went. Both rode hard, but the field was alert and chased hard, and they were soon brought back.
Eventually, late in the race, a break of two got away, and a second break of two including Eric Boone got off and chased. Each pair was one 35+ and one 45+ rider. Eric Boone told the Wheelsucker the first break got off much earlier in the race, and he should know 'cause he was closer to the front and in the second break, but the Wheelsucker thinks he saw the lead vehicle later in the race, which he believes would mean no one was off the front.
The field collectively sat up for the last few miles, or at least the eight guys at the front sat up and soft pedaled, and no one could get by them. Experienced riders who knew the course made the effort to move to the front very early and rode easy at or near the front. The Wheelsucker was pushed back. He was riding the yellow line hoping to move up, but other riders would push him over the line, and he would yield the position and slide back reluctantly. And he was forced further and further back until he WAS at the back as the sprint started.
You cannot see the Wheelsucker, because he is at the back of this mob
The road was open from the high school driveway and the Wheelsucker moved left looking for open road, but so did half the field. Riders slightly ahead of him were blowing up, or sitting up, and the Wheelsucker was frantically going around people trying to go hard.
A frustrated Wheelsucker finally makes it to the line
The entire main field pack was given the same time.
time bonuses applied
There were four 55+ riders in the main field; the Wheelsucker was fourth, so given the same time, but the two second time bonuses separated the first four 55+ riders. Three other 55+ riders were dropped during the race, and there were significant time gaps to them.
Dennis Crockett – who packs quite a sprint – had crossed first amongst 55+ riders, Stephen Erb was second, and strong TTer Matt Robins third.
Road Race Results on USA Cycling website
Luray Caverns Time Trial
It was cool and overcast Sunday morning. The first rider was off at 8:00am, but the Masters rode last, with the 55+ field the last of the masters. The route was 9 miles, out and back, downhill on the way out, uphill coming back. There were some tight turns making for a somewhat technical course. The Wheelsucker had checked out the TT course by car, Saturday evening.
The Wheelsucker's plan was to go out not too hard – wanting to save something for the harder return leg -- but trying to stay aero and go fast on the outbound leg. The Wheelsucker rode his TT bike, while some rode road bikes. Riders were off in reverse GC order, so the GC leader started last. On the outbound leg the Wheelsucker passed two riders including Stephen, and then passed a third shortly after the turnround. But just after that Matt Robins went by at a high rate of speed. The Wheelsucker was giving it everything he had, but Robins disappeared up the road. At a hard left turn most of the way back the Wheelsucker sneaked a glance behind him and saw Crockett behind, clearly having made up some time. The Wheelsucker had saved only just enough to stand and hammer the last short steep climb, and crossed the line gasping and drained.
The Wheelsucker early in the TT, LOOKING fast ...
When TT results were posted, the Wheelsucker had moved up a place to third overall, but the gaps to first and second were considerably wider: Robins was winning with a ~ 50 second lead on Crockett, and the Wheelsucker was a further ~30 seconds back, and had opened a 1:06 gap on John Chamberlain in 4th. Stephen was 6th in the TT, which moved him up a place to sixth on GC.
Geriatric TT ResultsKaty won the Women’s cat 1/cat 2 TT outright with a time of 20:55.08. This time was competitive with the Men's P/1 times, though Scott Giles' winning P/1 time was faster, 0:18:27.01.
Katy TTing, and actually GOING very fast
Amanda was still leading the GC with Katy second. But Alexis Zink had taken a minute out of Ainhoa on the TT and so moved up to third, and had gained back some of the time gap on Amanda.
The women's team was seeking world – or at least podium – domination, and was plotting how to keep their podium positions and perhaps move Ainhoa ahead of Alexis.
Time Trial Results on USA Cycling website
Downtown Luray Criterium
As riders moved from the TT venue to downtown Luray for the crit, it started to drizzle. The forecast was for worse rain and riders were wondering if they really wanted to race a challenging, rather technical crit, in the rain. The Masters crit was scheduled to start last, at 4:45pm, so there was lots of time.
The cat 5 and cat 4 crits went off. The Wheelsucker was hanging out at the Main Street deli, watching the pain on rider's faces as they climbed the hardest climb on the crit course. Fields were exploded on the first lap with the splits apparent as riders crossed the start/finish line at the end of the first lap.
It was raining harder by the time the women's crit started.
There was a very short delay while Nikki's wardrobe malfunction was fixed. This was post Hairgate and Nikki's hair is held up somehow.
The ABRTers were all marking Alexis. With little alternative, she rode hard at the front trying to make something happen. Alexis was riding strong, bobbing her torso like Eddy Merckx, while Katy, Ainhoa, Sue, Amanda and Nikki were holding on, apparently easily. But after a few laps Amanda started to fade at the top of the hard climb. She hung on and hung on, but then the gap started to open. And Alexis soldiered on. After the TT, Amanda had something like 45 seconds on Katy. But the key was that Amanda had about 1:57 on Alexis.
Amanda going through the photo corner
Amanda was having problems with the wet slippery corners on the technical crit course, and apparently was easing up on the corners and then working hard to chase back on. And she was tiring, and Alexis was prying open the gap.
Nikki dropped off the front group to go back and help Amanda.
ABRT's best dressed member, Nikki wears very stylish contrasting arm warmers, and sunglasses picking up the official ABRT accent shade ...
But the gap between Alexis and Amanda was slowly increasing. At one point the officials announced a prime for a time bonus;
Ainhoa takes the prime
Ainhoa carefully took that one to deny it to Alexis. Then Alexis flatted close the the start finish line. She was given two free laps while her bike was worked on, and an opportunity to catch her breath. Katy, Ainhoa and Sue immediately slowed the pace down so that Amanda and Nikki could close the gap somewhat. One other rider went off the front, but she was not a GC threat, so Katy, Ainhoa and Sue let her go. Then Alexis jumped back in stronger than ever, and it was game on. Sue eased up and dropped back as well looking for Amanda, though she never made it back far enough to help out.
With team mates shouting encouragement each lap Amanda kept pushing and pushing, hanging on, losing a little time each lap but trying to stay within the 1:57 cushion.
At the finish Katy narrowly took the sprint win from Alexis. Ainhoa was very close behind in third.
Amanda was finished a lap down, though not actually lapped. So it came down to what time was charged for the one lap down. And from the timings the GC was going to be very close. But eventually the time came out in Amanda's favor, by THREE SECONDS!!!!!
Amanda hangs on for second, Katy wins, Alexis finishes 3rd
So Katy won the overall with Amanda second, and Alexis third. Very strong teamwork and tactics from the ABRT ladies, and a courageous and strong ride by Alexis Zink.
The masters crit was a combined field again. On a technical course with a significant hard climb each lap, the Wheelsucker was not looking forward to racing in a field that included cat 1 and cat 2 35+ and 45+ riders. And though the rain had eased, the course was still wet. There had been crashes in some fields, including Scott Giles (he was not hurt and had jumped back in).
As the field gathered on the start line, the Wheelsucker looked around to check for the other 55+ riders. The overall field size was clearly smaller; many riders had left, not wanting to race in the rain. The first and second place 55+ riders were there in the front row, and Stephen Szibler was racing, but the Wheelsucker was not sure if all of the remaining three 55+ riders had left.
It was a fast start. The Wheelsucker was expecting this and worked hard to hold on and make the selection. But he was uncomfortable in a crowded pack and was going through the wet technical courses slightly slower than some. He WAS able to tag on the back of a lead group of about 12 or 13, but he was on the rivet hammering out of corners and on the climbs.
Part way through the first or second lap he was still on at the bottom of the course, but on the first right turn a rider dive bombed inside of him, and he eased up slightly, opening a slight gap. He chased hard and was still in contact at the start of the hard climb, but the effort was costing him. He chased and chased and chased, but the gap slowly opened. He WAS able to go into the corners at his desired speed, rather than braking as riders in front of him slowed, but that was not enough to close the gap, and it slowly opened.
The Wheelsucker chased and chased and chased, on his own. The only good news was that no one was in sight behind him. After going as hard as he could for several laps, the Wheelsucker eased up slightly to a pace that he thought he had a chance of sustaining.
Each time he climbed the hard hill the ABRT women's team and Scott Giles were cheering him on.
The Wheelsucker was going so hard up this climb that he frequently missed checking the lap counter.
At one point he saw 17 laps and knew he couldn't last that long.
After a few more laps the Wheelsucker could see two riders rounding the corner ahead, one straight-away in front of him. One was an Artemis rider. Apparently they had been dropped out of the lead group. The Wheelsucker kept going and slowly closed the gap, though it took several laps. He latched on to them, and recovered for a lap, before taking pulls. Both were 45+ riders.
Several laps later the Wheelsucker's group was lapped by two Kelly riders; one was Eric Boone. They were flying! Being unsure of crit rules the Wheelsucker was not sure he could try to grab a wheel, so eased up slightly with the two riders he was working with.
The laps went by. The pain of the hard climb was offset by loud cheering and encouragement from his teammates. Without this the Wheelsucker could not have continued at that pace. The next time the Wheelsucker remembered to check the lap counter it was seven laps; he started to think he might make it.
Then the first chase lapped his group and rolled by. Crockett and Robins were in it, and the Wheelsucker did not see any other 55+ riders, so the Wheelsucker thought he was might still holding on to third on GC, though losing time. Again uncertain of crit rules the Wheelsucker did not try to grab a wheel.
Then at the corner before the climb there was a loud crash just behind the Wheelsucker; the Artemis rider had slid out and gone down. The Wheelsucker continued up the hill with the other rider, with both yelling to bystanders and officials that there had been a crash.
But the crashed Artemis rider reappeared on the next lap, and said he was fine.
Though only a 45 minute crit, it was feeling like purgatory, except that each time up the climb the cheering from his teammates was so loud that it drowned out the pain.
Then the Wheelsucker saw 3 on the lap counter and for the first time thought he could make it.
And soon enough it was 1 to go. The other two riders eased up slightly on the last lap, and on the penultimate leg the Wheelsucker told them they were going too slow and came around to lead through the last corner. And with his head full of his teammates loud cheers, the Wheelsucker gave it every little bit he had left and powered up the hill for the last time, gapping his two companions and throwing his bike across the finish line.
It was over. The Wheelsucker’s agonized breathing gradually slowed, and his pegged heart rate slowly recovered. The post-hard-effort burning in his lungs and stomach did not ease.
It took awhile, but when crit results were posted, it was clear that only four 55+ riders had started the crit. The Wheelsucker had lapped Stephen's group, and though down a lap on the two man lead group and the ~ 10 rider chase, he had finished third in 55+. He lost a bit more than one lap's time on the two ahead of him on GC, but held on to third overall on GC.
Crit Results on USA Cycling website
General Classification (GC)
It took awhile longer for GC results to be posted, but these confirmed the finish order, and the Wheelsucker was photographed standing on the third place side of the podium.
With three 55+ riders not racing the crit and so not finishing the stage race, Stephen Szibler moved up to fourth overall, though down quite a bit on time; a very just reward for his persistence and determination.
Overall GC Results from USA Cycling website
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