The West VA road race series combines fields in a similar manner, and the combined field splits up quickly enough on the first hard climb, but it does change the racing for the masters and women, because the very strongest riders can hang with the lead group of 35+ and 45+ riders while other 45+, 55+ and women riders are gapped, whereas the strongest 55+ riders might not be strong enough to do the same damage to their field without the 35+, 45+ riders there.
Because the categories/age groups were combined, the Wheelsucker was racing with team mates; Steve Owens and Alex Pline in 45+ and Katy Giles in Women’s 123.
Despite arriving early, the Wheelsucker had a shorter-than-ideal warmup, partly because it was cold (and he was under-dressed) and partly because he stopped part way through warmup when he remembered he still needed to swap cassettes; he wanted an 11-28 rather than an 11-26. Steve Owens and Alex Pline warmed up on the course, checking out the first part of the loop, and the start of the packed dirt finish climb. They reported on what they had seen.
The Wheelsucker rolled out at the front of pack and eased into position about tenth wheel or so. There was a short neutral rollout to get the riders out of town. The first climb starts at the end of the neutral rollout, though it was initially an easy incline. The field stayed bunched across the road for awhile. The Wheelsucker is uncomfortable in the middle of a pack and worked the right shoulder blocking it, but letting Steve Owens by and then following Steve. Steve moved up to the front at one point before the steep part and the Wheelsucker followed. Steve was briefly on the front and the Wheelsucker was briefly second wheel, before both let a few riders by and tucked in. There were a few surges, but nothing they couldn’t handle, though apparently some riders were gapped before the climb became steeper.
The climb became significantly steeper at a 180 degree left turn onto Sam Friend road. After the turn there was lots of attrition. The Wheelsucker was well positioned for the turn, and Steve had warned the ABRTers to be in the small chain ring before the turn, so the Wheelsucker was prepared and stayed close to the front at first. But the pace was really hard. The Wheelsucker was fixating on the rear wheels in front of him, and not looking behind to see who popped and when, but he was passing riders who popped in front of him.
Katy’s completion in women’s 123, Alexis, popped. Lauriston Marshall just about stopped pedaling and went backwards, just in front of the Wheelsucker, as he popped. The Wheelsucker was on the rivet, at his limit, straining, but was hanging on and hanging on, but eventually was gapped.
He kept chasing.
What with the curves he had no one in site behind him. The lead group ahead of him would have been about 12 riders (looking at results it appears it was 10), and he knew 55+ riders Dennis Crockett and Paul Mittelstadt were in that group. He did not know if any other 55+ were still there, but suspected not. Katy was comfortably on at the back of the group. So the Wheelsucker was probably in 3rd place (in 55+) on the road.
The Wheelsucker kept that lead group close and frequently in site for awhile; He would typically see them when he arrived at the bottom of a steep climb section. Eventually he saw two riders chasing not far behind him. The Wheelsucker eased up slightly to wait, and was joined by Ramon Benitez and the amazing Scott Haverstick (aged 66, but racing 55+).
It is not often that the Wheelsucker is ahead of Ramon even if only for a little while!
The three worked together, with Ramon pulling long and hard on rollers and descents, but sometimes suffering a little on climbs, so Scott and the Wheelsucker would ease up very slightly so he could get back on, go immediately to the front, and drive the pace.
After awhile they saw Katy coming back to them. The Wheelsucker later learned she had been gapped on the sketchy descents, and was easily strong enough to stay with the group on the climbs, but eventually was not able to chase back on after being gapped. Ramon, Scott and the Wheelsucker caught her about 50 minutes into the race. The Wheelsucker immediately told her Alexis had been dropped about 35 minutes earlier and should be well back.
The group of four worked together with Ramon on the front the most, on the rollers and descents. Huge credit to Ramon; the Wheelsucker couldn’t see how four riders were going to catch about 11 strong riders, but Ramon never stopped trying.
The staging and rollout area was at the lowest point on the lap. At the end of lap 1 as they rolled by the staging area the Wheelsucker was thinking, "omigod, one more lap and THEN the finishing climb!"
Once on the steeper section of the second lap, a rider in DC Velo kit -- most probably Paul Mittelstadt -- occasionally came into site up the road.
On a hard climb -- probably Pig's Ear -- Ramon and Katy were on the front and Scott popped. The Wheelsucker grimly hung on to Katy’s wheel. Ramon, Katy and the Wheelsucker got up to Paul, basically replacing Scott with Paul. The Wheelsucker was rarely working on the front. It was taking all he had to hang on on the climbs, and Ramon was driving on the flatter sections like a very powerful train locomotive; it was mostly Ramon, some Paul, some Katy, and a very little Wheelsucker on the front.
The Wheelsucker was straining on short climbs, but he felt Paul was also tired, and Paul had been riding alone for some time before being caught.
Katy was amazing. She would be gapped on the fast sketchy descents and would be back on in 30 seconds once the group started climbing. She was all round the strongest in the group, but was helping the Wheelsucker rather than riding away on her own on a climb. The Wheelsucker avoided pulling as much as possible and was hoping to gap Paul -- who is a very strong sprinter, very good rouler, a decent-but-not-great TTer but is heavier than the Wheelsucker -- on the last climb.
After more suffering it was the end of the second lap. Average power was well down from the first lap, with the Wheelsucker's highest power early on the first climb of the first lap when he was desperately hanging on.
Shortly after the end of the second lap there was a right turn over a bridge and onto a packed dirt road climb. This was quite steep. Katy was leading, with the Wheelsucker -- very soon at his limit -- following. The Wheelsucker was focused on pedaling and trying to stay close to Katy’s rear wheel. He had been unable to think clearly for some time, but was vaguely hoping to gap Paul on the final climb and have Katy pull him clear on the 2 miles of rollers from the top of the climb to the finish.
Ramon popped almost immediately after they were on the dirt road climb, with Paul also gapped early.
The Wheelsucker told Katy Paul was gapped.
Katy was gapping the Wheelsucker but he went as hard as he could to stay close. He was wondering if he could get close enough to her to grab her jersey pocket and hang on.
The gap to Paul was opening.
At the pavement just before the top of the climb the Wheelsucker made one final effort and caught up to Katy, when she eased up. After all the climbing the rollers were painful. The Wheelsucker was mostly following Katy, but he did pull a little when he could.
The Wheelsucker was looking behind checking for chasers almost as much as he was looking at Katy’s rear wheel. Apart from the leader in another field, who passed them, no one was close behind and the Wheelsucker was not seeing DC Velo colors (Paul) or Ramon’s kit.
A tired and sore Wheelsucker rolled across the finish line a few bike lengths behind Katy.
At the finish he learned that Dennis Crockett had stayed with the lead group which eventually split in two, with Dennis in the second part. Dennis won 55+. There were no other 55+ riders in the two lead groups after Paul popped, so the Wheelsucker was second and Paul third.
Later, checking finish times, the Wheelsucker saw that his finish was about 1:42 behind Crockett. His finish would have placed him 5th in 45+ (ahead of Ramon and Harry Fang). He may have beaten one of the four 35+ riders (they only had finish times for the first few riders). Mike Stearns won 35+ and third in 35+ was a rider named Eiichiro Omata, who per Steve Owens was a pro in Japan before he came to the USA. That may partly explain the pace on the first climb.
The Wheelsucker is very grateful for the support from team mates, in particular Katy's work to bring them up to Paul and then drop Paul on the last climb, and her encouragement.
Results: http://www.winthefight.org/mountainmassacree/results.htm
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