No porn star moustache this time...
My job was to mark Miles. Which I thought would be made easy by the fact that he sauntered by our tent and announced he wanted to be in a break with me 5 laps in. Cool, lets do this.
Decent warmup but still jittery in the first 3 laps (lap 1 was a roll out). Laps 2 & 3 I went backwards and was out of position on lap 4 when a 5 man break with the favorites formed--yes, with Miles...who is the sucker now? Chris P started chasing with 2 other guys who didn't help. They came back. The break didn't get very far out (200 meters maybe) but it appeared they could get away OR were within a bridging attempt. So when Erik Nedeau (DSO) jumped I went with him. We had a gap on the field and were closing on the break but it took a few laps to get to them. I was crushing Erik on every corner, but it was difficult to trade work because of the choppiness of the corners. 2 guys fell off the break, and we passed them. When we caught the break it was Miles, Ernest Tautkus, and David Hilderbrand - the eventual podium... But the minute we joined, Ernest and Dave sat up and refused to work.
I should have pushed hard at that point, as I know Erik and Miles would have worked - there were less than 15 laps to go.
But I was cooked from the bridge, and within a lap or two the field had caught us. At that point I decided to sit in, recover, and domestique for Chris and Jacob L. I think Cratty got on the front a for a bit but I don't remember really. I told Chris I'd give them a leadout. I stayed near the front, patrolling for breaks and using my better cornering to save energy. With 8 to go a break went off with a strong threat so I chased it down within a half lap. At 5 to go a not strong break went off and I let someone else chase it down. At 2 to go I got on the front and lead for about 1.5 laps, got swamped back to about 30th place then made back about 10 places in the final 300 meters. Jacob managed 5th and podiumed for the cat 3 masters state crit championship, Chris made 11th. I came across in 20th.
Beverly GP 2018 Criterium Champion
Re: Beverly GP 2018 Criterium Champion
On the regret scale, my not committing to bridging to the first break is right up there. The gap was still manageable and make-able when I reacted (albeit from a little too far back — I also had a poor first few laps in terms of positioning). I made it halfway across towing two guys with me, I felt like I could have made it as the gap was coming steadily down but I got cute and swung off to get the other 2 guys to pull through. They either wouldn’t or couldn’t but by then I had already tucked in behind them. I recovered for a bit but we weren’t closing anymore, I went back to the front and pulled again but by this point the field was only 50 meters back so I shut it down.
There’s no doubt in my mind that had an MRC guy made the initial break the race dynamics would have changed drastically. Really the only chasing that happened was 80% Josh so def the break would have had a chance if it had MRC representation. And yes in hindsight it should have been me (based on pre race strategy), my mistake was not simply committing to the bridge and sticking it, even if it meant dragging those two with me.
Although, still armchair quarterbacking, that would have made for an 8 man break (I’ll assume the 2 guys that got dropped would have been able to hang in an 8 man break) — which even if we stayed away would have meant I’d need to outsprint at least 4 of those guys to actually have improved on our result (because Jacob was fifth at the end of the day). And honestly the podium would have probably been the same in either case as Billings Hildebrand and Tautkus were all a cut above the rest of us in that field.
There’s no doubt in my mind that had an MRC guy made the initial break the race dynamics would have changed drastically. Really the only chasing that happened was 80% Josh so def the break would have had a chance if it had MRC representation. And yes in hindsight it should have been me (based on pre race strategy), my mistake was not simply committing to the bridge and sticking it, even if it meant dragging those two with me.
Although, still armchair quarterbacking, that would have made for an 8 man break (I’ll assume the 2 guys that got dropped would have been able to hang in an 8 man break) — which even if we stayed away would have meant I’d need to outsprint at least 4 of those guys to actually have improved on our result (because Jacob was fifth at the end of the day). And honestly the podium would have probably been the same in either case as Billings Hildebrand and Tautkus were all a cut above the rest of us in that field.
Re: Beverly GP 2018 Criterium Champion
I have pictures to prove I was on the front of this race for a bit. Othwrwise I had a headache and there was wayyyy too much braking going into every turn and it annoyed me enough to "get it I over with". Sadly this was literally my first race of the year that MRC didn't podium. It was an Unprecedented streak which makes me happy about MRC being the #1 club in New England.
I'm done racing for the year. See you at the Fondo. And let me know if you want to play golf.
I'm done racing for the year. See you at the Fondo. And let me know if you want to play golf.
Re: Beverly GP 2018 Criterium Champion
Five faces
Float before my mind’s eye
Stock still
Avi says 15 seconds
Once around, neutral
But what man is truly neutral?
Let’s pretend we’re not racing yet
What’s that guy doing?
Full steam ahead
Seeking flow
Around each corner
You’ll not find it with so much braking
All I have to do
Is figure out how to steer
And mete out effort within
Every millisecond of the next forty minutes
The fastest riders ride fastest
To join them would be hard
Brave your bridge of sinew and misgivings
A weary span
Chris like a rocket, shoots
Then floats... below escape velocity
Josh like a laden train
Cranks slow... makes it
Hello
Yes, we are right here
Watching you work hard
To chase our teammate
We are back together now
One big breathless family
If those guys couldn’t make it happen
It’s probably not happening
Ride close to the fence
My left cheek ten inches
From a wall of faces at 28 miles per hour
Thank you for not leaning out
Near the end Josh again
He is not like most, Fearless and confusing
The fastest riders are unsure
But my life is simplified
Being extremely aggressive doesn’t come naturally
But I have learned
It’s easier
When you’re not too tired
I know who to follow and I follow him
I will have faith
That we can make this turn
From the middle line like this
I have made all correct decisions
I am in a good position
In the sprint to the final corner
I have to react, too late already by definition
It’s hard, maybe impossible
To improve from there
That final turn
May as well be the finish line
On the drive home
I realized that I forgot my prize money
Also my video camera didn’t work
Winning feels more possible than ever
Float before my mind’s eye
Stock still
Avi says 15 seconds
Once around, neutral
But what man is truly neutral?
Let’s pretend we’re not racing yet
What’s that guy doing?
Full steam ahead
Seeking flow
Around each corner
You’ll not find it with so much braking
All I have to do
Is figure out how to steer
And mete out effort within
Every millisecond of the next forty minutes
The fastest riders ride fastest
To join them would be hard
Brave your bridge of sinew and misgivings
A weary span
Chris like a rocket, shoots
Then floats... below escape velocity
Josh like a laden train
Cranks slow... makes it
Hello
Yes, we are right here
Watching you work hard
To chase our teammate
We are back together now
One big breathless family
If those guys couldn’t make it happen
It’s probably not happening
Ride close to the fence
My left cheek ten inches
From a wall of faces at 28 miles per hour
Thank you for not leaning out
Near the end Josh again
He is not like most, Fearless and confusing
The fastest riders are unsure
But my life is simplified
Being extremely aggressive doesn’t come naturally
But I have learned
It’s easier
When you’re not too tired
I know who to follow and I follow him
I will have faith
That we can make this turn
From the middle line like this
I have made all correct decisions
I am in a good position
In the sprint to the final corner
I have to react, too late already by definition
It’s hard, maybe impossible
To improve from there
That final turn
May as well be the finish line
On the drive home
I realized that I forgot my prize money
Also my video camera didn’t work
Winning feels more possible than ever
-
davidmccay
- Domestique
- Posts: 223
- Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2015 11:35 am
Re: Beverly GP 2018 Criterium Champion
Great reports, fellas. Awesome ride, Jacob. Congrats!
Re: Beverly GP 2018 Criterium Champion
Need a Like button Jacob
Re: Beverly GP 2018 Criterium Champion
Ok here's an account of the men's cat 4 race.
I am extremely fond of greater boston's ability to increase drive times by half an hour depending on if you are in the traffic. It is the schroedinger's cat of roadways.
We lined up and on the start line someone requested danger zone, which I did one or two years ago at the concord crit when it was rainy. Good ideas persist. This race looked way sketchier than concord though since like three of the five corners were constructed entirely out of paint and manhole covers and KY jelly. Also it was a cat 4 field so we were for sure going to do some dumb shit. Do you take the outside line, maintaining higher exit speed and having some college kid low-side into you like an albatross made of bowling balls? Or do you take the inside line and frantically brake at bad parts of the curve? This race was full of tough decisions. Someone should write a memoir.
The previous year's winner Torin was there and there was one kid who was loudly announcing this fact to everyone and narrated when he was on the front which was actually pretty nice, since he snuck away solo last year. My plan was to get in to a break with this guy and/or Mark from Portland Velo, or keep an eye on Mark/Paul/Torin/Tate for the sprint.
So the race starts, the corners suck; we are bad at going around them. Unbelievably, despite someone literally announcing it live Torin starts sneaking off the front like five laps in. I did the fun thing where I try to take the corners smoothly and not sprint out of them so I've been swamped by jumpy dudes with fresh legs and by this point I'm all the way in the back. Only AJ, who has a better brain, is representing us at the front.
I do a lot of mental complaining while I move up to the front over the next lap or two, just in time for Mark from portland velo to bridge up, so I bridge up. The bridge under discussion is less a golden gate and more of a 7th grade balsa wood affair, because we only have a gap of a few seconds. It starts raining more. I figure with a couple of the biggest engines in the race with me we'll have no problem, this is the winning break for sure!
It's not the winning break though, because Tate, who apparently has gobs of power but hates bridging, pulled the whole field back up to us after a while. The field has been cut in half thanks to our efforts, and AJ is still there. Almost every time I hit the first corner and the last one, my rear tire moves a few inches as soon as I start putting power down, which has hampered my courage somewhat. I put 90psi in my tires. AJ (remember, better brain) only put 75 in his and is not really sliding around.
Final lap, and I'm trying to be 2nd or 3rd wheel going into the final corner, since the sprint to the line is 100 meters and the race is just about decided on the back stretch prior. I wind up 4th wheel behind Torin, Mark and Paul, due to Torin making a big attack. But we approach the last corner to a lot of shouting and waving about a downed rider, who is right smack dab in the middle of the corner. Wow, that sucks, guess we'll have to be neutralized and do another lap. Right guys? Except Torin is sprinting? I guess we're all sprinting now? No neutral? Everyone messed up their position on the corner due to the downed rider so everyone's sprint is ruined and I cross the line doing the mad rider head shake so everyone knows how mad I am.
There follows a quarter lap of barely attenuated swearing and I almost yell fuck at a park full of toddlers in front of a cop. An older rider recognizes that I have the Spandex Rage and makes a conspicuous effort to talk me down to the extent that I have to assure him that I'm not going to yell fuck at a park full of toddlers and so on.
Later, during the best part of the evening, I had a beer with AJ and watched the women's race and had a lovely conversation about bike racing with an older lady named Dawn.
I am extremely fond of greater boston's ability to increase drive times by half an hour depending on if you are in the traffic. It is the schroedinger's cat of roadways.
We lined up and on the start line someone requested danger zone, which I did one or two years ago at the concord crit when it was rainy. Good ideas persist. This race looked way sketchier than concord though since like three of the five corners were constructed entirely out of paint and manhole covers and KY jelly. Also it was a cat 4 field so we were for sure going to do some dumb shit. Do you take the outside line, maintaining higher exit speed and having some college kid low-side into you like an albatross made of bowling balls? Or do you take the inside line and frantically brake at bad parts of the curve? This race was full of tough decisions. Someone should write a memoir.
The previous year's winner Torin was there and there was one kid who was loudly announcing this fact to everyone and narrated when he was on the front which was actually pretty nice, since he snuck away solo last year. My plan was to get in to a break with this guy and/or Mark from Portland Velo, or keep an eye on Mark/Paul/Torin/Tate for the sprint.
So the race starts, the corners suck; we are bad at going around them. Unbelievably, despite someone literally announcing it live Torin starts sneaking off the front like five laps in. I did the fun thing where I try to take the corners smoothly and not sprint out of them so I've been swamped by jumpy dudes with fresh legs and by this point I'm all the way in the back. Only AJ, who has a better brain, is representing us at the front.
I do a lot of mental complaining while I move up to the front over the next lap or two, just in time for Mark from portland velo to bridge up, so I bridge up. The bridge under discussion is less a golden gate and more of a 7th grade balsa wood affair, because we only have a gap of a few seconds. It starts raining more. I figure with a couple of the biggest engines in the race with me we'll have no problem, this is the winning break for sure!
It's not the winning break though, because Tate, who apparently has gobs of power but hates bridging, pulled the whole field back up to us after a while. The field has been cut in half thanks to our efforts, and AJ is still there. Almost every time I hit the first corner and the last one, my rear tire moves a few inches as soon as I start putting power down, which has hampered my courage somewhat. I put 90psi in my tires. AJ (remember, better brain) only put 75 in his and is not really sliding around.
Final lap, and I'm trying to be 2nd or 3rd wheel going into the final corner, since the sprint to the line is 100 meters and the race is just about decided on the back stretch prior. I wind up 4th wheel behind Torin, Mark and Paul, due to Torin making a big attack. But we approach the last corner to a lot of shouting and waving about a downed rider, who is right smack dab in the middle of the corner. Wow, that sucks, guess we'll have to be neutralized and do another lap. Right guys? Except Torin is sprinting? I guess we're all sprinting now? No neutral? Everyone messed up their position on the corner due to the downed rider so everyone's sprint is ruined and I cross the line doing the mad rider head shake so everyone knows how mad I am.
There follows a quarter lap of barely attenuated swearing and I almost yell fuck at a park full of toddlers in front of a cop. An older rider recognizes that I have the Spandex Rage and makes a conspicuous effort to talk me down to the extent that I have to assure him that I'm not going to yell fuck at a park full of toddlers and so on.
Later, during the best part of the evening, I had a beer with AJ and watched the women's race and had a lovely conversation about bike racing with an older lady named Dawn.