Winters Road Race Report

Cat 5 open. 2 laps of 24.5 miles -  45 men started - 41 finished.  Winning Time 2 hours 10 minutes 38 seconds.

My Finish - 11 place at 2 hours 11 minutes 51 seconds.

Results:

http://www.usacycling.org/results/index.php?permit=2010-1674

I lost this race because of a stupid tactical error.  I will explain later.

First Lap:

The day was pretty windy but not too warm - around 78 to 80 degrees F.  

The pace started off quick over the first 11 miles of rollers.  It quickly told the field that some guys who were racing all season were hungry from a win.  When we hit the "hill"  mile 11 (a 3.5 mile hill with quick 8% sections with a 400 meter section of 8 to 10% at the end), guys started to drop off the pace.  The peloton after the Hill was trimmed down to about 25 guys.  At this point I was felling good.  I went off on a flyer at mile 17 (yes I mistakingly thought I was as strong as Appel, Dan V. out together).  I quickly accelerated to 32-33 MPH and held it for about 3 or 4 minutes.  I was at my max but was committed to my break.  Even though I put a big distance on the peloton, I knew I was in trouble.  The headwind/Crosswind was strong and nobody went with me.  I was by myself for 7 miles before I was caught.  I joked with the peloton that I was trying to stretch my legs out and I wanted to be the first on the first lap.  In reality I was starting to hurt a little bit and stiffen up.

Second Lap.  

I hid in the peloton near the front for the next 11 miles.  I was trying to recover as much as possible. There were constant attacks on the rollers that I felt were pretty weak.  I was starting the think I did not hurt myself as bad as I thought.  I thought wrong. 
When we started the hill and the pace got cranked up.  There was a true selection about to take place.  I was not feeling good at all.  I was started to stiffen up and I felt like I had half the power.  I finally got dropped 400 meters from the top (I tried to invoke my inner Yuginn, but not to be).  I tried to maintain a rhythm to minimize the damage but I knew I just possibly lost the race.  I saw the leaders go over the top 10 strong.   I was going in reverse at this point.  
I finally made it over the top and found myself alone.  I was desperate to pick up a rider because I was not looking forward to the last 8 miles with a headwind.  At the bottom of the short descent I spotted two riders about 300 meters ahead.  I reached deep and red lined myself to catch them.  We made an agreement to work together to try to catch the leaders.  After 2 miles we dropped one rider so it was me and another guy averaging 28mph in a last minute dash for some restitution for being dropped on the Hill.  With 1.5 miles to go we crested a hill and joined 4 riders chasing the lead group of 10.  We could see the leaders another 800 meters ahead knew we were finished.  

The Finish:

My group of 6 (including) myself were going to sprint it out for our own group victory.  With 1 km to go I started to mark every wheel that took the lead.  I knew no one was going to beat me in a sprint but I getting concerned because my left calf started to cramp every time I marked someone. We started to slow with about 500 meters to go.  Guys were getting nervous and the head wind picked up.  I knew if I went too soon I would not last so I waited for someone else to make a move.  The guy ahead of me started to pick up the pass with 300 meters to go and glided behind him and set my gears in the best one I thought I could get a max acceleration.  When I approached the 200 meters to go I  ripped into my pedals like I was on fire.  I started to shift into harder gears to keep up with my 110 rpm cadence keeping my eye on the finish line while approaching 35 mph.  I looked back at the finish and realized I put about 3 meters on the next 3 guys.  Finished first in the chase group and 11th overall.  Not bad for my second Road Race.  

Lessons Learned:

Flyer early in the race does nothing but hurt you especially if no one goes with you.  I should have been smarter and saved my energy.  I was one of the biggest guys in the peloton and knew I could take anyone in a sprint.  I should have saved it for the Hill on the second lap.  That is where I lost the race but I vowed I will not make that mistake again.  

Here is my Strava segment.  

http://www.strava.com/segment_efforts/2295033

Here is a Pic halfway up the hill on the second lap.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/2bgoingpro/4937092052/in/set-72157624831961034/lightbox/

Congrats to Jacob Berkman for finishing 3rd in Cat 4.

Matt