Independence Stage Race
This weekend was about as good as it gets for Anchorage area road racing. A three-stage race on what are (in my humble opinion) the best courses we have in the local area. Admittedly, "local" is a relative term, since 2 of them were 90 minutes away.
The first stage was our 2nd visit to the Kulis criterium course. This time it was raining lightly, so speed averages dropped almost 1 MPH for the Sport/Masters Men pack, even though the pack itself was larger. Our collective lack of bike handling skills were on display, but everyone stayed upright and unhurt, which made me like the course even more. After a few attacks on the early laps, we settled in. This gave me a chance to move around the pack to see who was riding well, without a lot of risk of getting caught on the wrong end of a split. Without the two animators of the last race present, I was more concerned about individuals than team tactics.
I expected the move to go after the 30 minute point of the 40 minute race, so I worked my way to the front and watched. When nobody attacked, I decided to test my legs and see what was there. Apparently, it wasn't a lot, but it was enough to get a gap on the pack. I was quickly joined by a very strong Sport rider who was ready to ride, and shortly afterwards by a Masters rider. We clawed out a bigger gap over the next few laps, but I could feel my legs failing and a few glances back showed the pack was strung out and chasing hard. We were doomed, but stayed out there a little longer to weaken the stronger riders. When we were caught, we sat in for a few laps to recover for the final sprint. After being blocked out on the wrong side of the road last time, I made sure to have a clear line at the final turn to catch the draft of a faster wheel as it went by. I caught it, but couldn't hold it, and crossed the line in 3rd place overall (2nd in Sport) with the same time as the winner. Since there were no time bonuses, the first 9 Sport Men racers to cross the line were tied. Not a bad start to the series.
For the next two races, we moved to Point MacKenzie, which requires a 90 minute drive around the end of the Cook Inlet to a spot spitting distance from Anchorage. The only things out there are some fishing streams, the Point Mackenzie Correctional Farm, and the now-closed General Store. That, and a long section of the best road racing around here. Good pavement, rolling hills, and low traffic makes me a happy guy.
The first race of the day was the 27K time trial. Since the other two stages had no time bonuses, the time trial was the most important stage to do well in. Good rest, hydration, and fueling were critical to performing your best. Unfortunately, while I did pretty well on the second two items, I failed miserably on the first. I knew before I started that I was not at my best, and prayed that all of the money I had invested in aerodynamic gear over the years was going to finally going to reap some sort of dividend.
Out of the start I tried to pace myself and find a comfortable rhythm, but that proved difficult on the rolling course. A racer who started 15 seconds behind me passed me halfway to the turnaround, and we swapped the lead a couple times before he got disgusted with my foolishness and rode away. I watched hopelessly as my power levels steadily dropped. Eventually I just started focusing on the riders ahead, with the sole intent of riding them down. The finish came about 10K too late for me, but I managed to slowly reel in several of the riders that started before me. As it turned out, it was enough for 2nd place again, which was far more than I deserved. The Sport rider that passed me took a 22 second lead in the overall, which meant I had a lot of work to do.
The final stage was a 50 mile road race. The rolling terrain meant there were plenty of chances to attack to gain time. The rider who won the criterium was up for the task, throwing in quick bursts on every rise to weaken the legs of the pack. Since he was sitting not far behind me in the overall, I was required to follow them, dragging the pack along with me or at least inspiring them to chase. I threw in a few digs of my own, but it was obvious everyone was strong enough to follow anything we had. I switched tactics and tried to force the rider in first place onto the front and into the wind, hopefully burning up his energy and making him respond to any attacks. It didn't take long for him to realize what I was doing, so he slowed to a very easy pace, which allowed the whole pack to recover. Then a few of his teammates started riding on the front, occasionally opening up gaps that I had to close down. I knew I was a marked man by the last 10 miles, which was confirmed by the discussion behind me. Confident in their lead over the 3rd and 4th place riders, they were willing to let anyone else ride off the front but me. Smart racing, and it's always nice to be recognized as a threat, but still frustrating. The now-inevitable bunch sprint split the pack a bit, and my legs finally gave up, but I cramped my way into third on the stage and secured my 2nd place overall. The overall winner rode in right behind me.
Time bonuses would have likely changed the nature of the race, and I might have won with them, but in the end the strongest rider took the win. I got a solid block of intensity and a good result on a stellar set of courses, so I consider it time well spent. It sure beats sitting on the couch watching a bunch of guys in lycra ride around France.
The first stage was our 2nd visit to the Kulis criterium course. This time it was raining lightly, so speed averages dropped almost 1 MPH for the Sport/Masters Men pack, even though the pack itself was larger. Our collective lack of bike handling skills were on display, but everyone stayed upright and unhurt, which made me like the course even more. After a few attacks on the early laps, we settled in. This gave me a chance to move around the pack to see who was riding well, without a lot of risk of getting caught on the wrong end of a split. Without the two animators of the last race present, I was more concerned about individuals than team tactics.
I expected the move to go after the 30 minute point of the 40 minute race, so I worked my way to the front and watched. When nobody attacked, I decided to test my legs and see what was there. Apparently, it wasn't a lot, but it was enough to get a gap on the pack. I was quickly joined by a very strong Sport rider who was ready to ride, and shortly afterwards by a Masters rider. We clawed out a bigger gap over the next few laps, but I could feel my legs failing and a few glances back showed the pack was strung out and chasing hard. We were doomed, but stayed out there a little longer to weaken the stronger riders. When we were caught, we sat in for a few laps to recover for the final sprint. After being blocked out on the wrong side of the road last time, I made sure to have a clear line at the final turn to catch the draft of a faster wheel as it went by. I caught it, but couldn't hold it, and crossed the line in 3rd place overall (2nd in Sport) with the same time as the winner. Since there were no time bonuses, the first 9 Sport Men racers to cross the line were tied. Not a bad start to the series.
For the next two races, we moved to Point MacKenzie, which requires a 90 minute drive around the end of the Cook Inlet to a spot spitting distance from Anchorage. The only things out there are some fishing streams, the Point Mackenzie Correctional Farm, and the now-closed General Store. That, and a long section of the best road racing around here. Good pavement, rolling hills, and low traffic makes me a happy guy.
The first race of the day was the 27K time trial. Since the other two stages had no time bonuses, the time trial was the most important stage to do well in. Good rest, hydration, and fueling were critical to performing your best. Unfortunately, while I did pretty well on the second two items, I failed miserably on the first. I knew before I started that I was not at my best, and prayed that all of the money I had invested in aerodynamic gear over the years was going to finally going to reap some sort of dividend.
Out of the start I tried to pace myself and find a comfortable rhythm, but that proved difficult on the rolling course. A racer who started 15 seconds behind me passed me halfway to the turnaround, and we swapped the lead a couple times before he got disgusted with my foolishness and rode away. I watched hopelessly as my power levels steadily dropped. Eventually I just started focusing on the riders ahead, with the sole intent of riding them down. The finish came about 10K too late for me, but I managed to slowly reel in several of the riders that started before me. As it turned out, it was enough for 2nd place again, which was far more than I deserved. The Sport rider that passed me took a 22 second lead in the overall, which meant I had a lot of work to do.
The final stage was a 50 mile road race. The rolling terrain meant there were plenty of chances to attack to gain time. The rider who won the criterium was up for the task, throwing in quick bursts on every rise to weaken the legs of the pack. Since he was sitting not far behind me in the overall, I was required to follow them, dragging the pack along with me or at least inspiring them to chase. I threw in a few digs of my own, but it was obvious everyone was strong enough to follow anything we had. I switched tactics and tried to force the rider in first place onto the front and into the wind, hopefully burning up his energy and making him respond to any attacks. It didn't take long for him to realize what I was doing, so he slowed to a very easy pace, which allowed the whole pack to recover. Then a few of his teammates started riding on the front, occasionally opening up gaps that I had to close down. I knew I was a marked man by the last 10 miles, which was confirmed by the discussion behind me. Confident in their lead over the 3rd and 4th place riders, they were willing to let anyone else ride off the front but me. Smart racing, and it's always nice to be recognized as a threat, but still frustrating. The now-inevitable bunch sprint split the pack a bit, and my legs finally gave up, but I cramped my way into third on the stage and secured my 2nd place overall. The overall winner rode in right behind me.
Time bonuses would have likely changed the nature of the race, and I might have won with them, but in the end the strongest rider took the win. I got a solid block of intensity and a good result on a stellar set of courses, so I consider it time well spent. It sure beats sitting on the couch watching a bunch of guys in lycra ride around France.
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