Purgatory 2017
Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2017 5:47 pm
I'll start off as I sit here nursing my wounds (spoiler..) and sipping some Wachusett Wally.
Masters 40+ lining up alongside Burgel, Busick, Daniels, Pare, Raguin, Teves plus a who's who of NE 40+ talent. Smallish (31) but strong field. Figured screw the 50+ to go complete domestique duty as always better to race with more teammates and we needed all the help we could muster today.
Realistically we concluded that for any of us (namely Josh) to have a shot at a top 5, we needed to get him a good gap heading into the final time up Lackey. Or have him get in a late race break.
CVC/Healthcare had 6 strong guys so they were the team to watch. 545 had their usual Campbell/Billings duo plus McMahon and Lopera to round out a solid foursome for them.
On the 1st lap 2 (or maybe it was 3) guys off the front including Hildebrand but no other key guys or teams in it. Hey, we've seen this before (last year) with Dave H except this year he's got no teammates and the field basically let him dangle at 15 seconds or so. On Whitins Rd CVC started a train to pull them back. I got in the mix but didn't need to do too much work. As we hit the climb it was apparent they would be caught so I settled in. I felt okay, but still struggled a bit to maintain, got a little worried, and had to work with Mangan from CCB and one other to close the gap before the turn onto Central Tpk to start lap 2.
Start of lap 2 I was back in contact enough to see 2 guys go off immediately on Central but not in position to help and didn't see who they were. Held my own on Uxbridge and Mendon and by Whitins was moving back to the front, with 2 still away. Sometime after halfway on Whitins Rob Lyons (Finkraft) kinda rolled off the front of the main group and I decided to jump up to him. We didn't get much and when it was obvious he wasn't interested in trying anything, I just upped my tempo somewhat to see what would happen as we passed the dam into the step climb. Well, nobody really came with me when suddenly Mangan comes by hard on my right yelling "let's go". Eh, why not? We got a gap and then I figured this could be a good thing having a lead heading into the climb so I could keep it a bit more steady. Sure enough, that worked and while the field caught up I was in a good position this time to stay right at the front back down to Central.
Start of lap 3 Mangan goes again. I wait thru the feed zone and make sure I have a good position. Then a white kit guy goes followed by Colm McMahon from 545. Okay, this one I gotta cover especially with Campbell and Billings sitting in the field. Initially on Central I'm a bit gassed so let the other 3 do most of the work (getting a few rightly deserved "pull thrus") but then I recover and start equally helping out. We had been given a time gap of 1min earlier on Central. At one point on Uxbridge a moto told us it was 50 sec to the leaders with 35 seconds to the field. But by the end of Mendon descent and onto Barnett that 35 was basically gone and the 4 of us gave it a rest as we came up to Whitins. A chat with Josh about getting together with Lopera from 545 to go again but I'm not recovered enough to be all that effective just yet. By this point though the field has been whittled down to 18 or so, so I hold mid-pack position to recover. We approach Lackey #3 and in what turns out to be my undoing allow a few to swarm past me. Made the right turn onto Lackey, glued to Lyons' wheel hugging the right side when one of the guys who passed me and is now just ahead on my left comes to a dead stop (assuming a dropped chain or some shifting issue). Two guys veer over with one clipping Lyons and those to stop. The other nudges me. I can't stop and rub up against Lyons' rear wheel, taking out my front. Into the dirt/mud and I'm going down. Except now the ground is falling away from me. Oh fun, here's a streambed/ditch going down 2+ feet. Fall into that landing on my right arm and (apparently) hit my head on something. Hey, the running water over me kinda feels good. Jump up, SRAM right there to check the bike (all okay). I've got stuff on my knee and elbow but otherwise am okay. Back on the bike with a push from SRAM but on the steepest part of lower Lackey with the field now at least 30 seconds ahead. Uh, right. Then as I go to get out of the saddle I realize there may have been a bit more than I thought as get some pain in my arm. Okay, see how this goes. Thru the finish, onto Central Tpk and it's abundantly clear I have no prayer of catching back unless they all just sit up (as if there really was any thought..) Just see how things go. Arm progressively gets more sore and stiff and can no longer grip the bars. I'm done. Otherwise, I actually feel okay and really felt ready to help out more on the final two laps. Ride tempo to the finish and get checked out as Alice comes up to meet me.
Badly swollen right elbow and a dented helmet (no crack, but yup, another Lazer bites the dust). Contusion on side of right knee. Coulda been much worse. Bike being checked out fully tomorrow by Landry's as there is a chip on the fork (riding the Giant today, so not another Madone issue!) EMTs said no indication of a break. Nurse Alice, along with her sister (who's an ER nurse) confirmed this. Ice/compression definitely helping so she thinks no ligament damage either. And that's that.
Masters 40+ lining up alongside Burgel, Busick, Daniels, Pare, Raguin, Teves plus a who's who of NE 40+ talent. Smallish (31) but strong field. Figured screw the 50+ to go complete domestique duty as always better to race with more teammates and we needed all the help we could muster today.
Realistically we concluded that for any of us (namely Josh) to have a shot at a top 5, we needed to get him a good gap heading into the final time up Lackey. Or have him get in a late race break.
CVC/Healthcare had 6 strong guys so they were the team to watch. 545 had their usual Campbell/Billings duo plus McMahon and Lopera to round out a solid foursome for them.
On the 1st lap 2 (or maybe it was 3) guys off the front including Hildebrand but no other key guys or teams in it. Hey, we've seen this before (last year) with Dave H except this year he's got no teammates and the field basically let him dangle at 15 seconds or so. On Whitins Rd CVC started a train to pull them back. I got in the mix but didn't need to do too much work. As we hit the climb it was apparent they would be caught so I settled in. I felt okay, but still struggled a bit to maintain, got a little worried, and had to work with Mangan from CCB and one other to close the gap before the turn onto Central Tpk to start lap 2.
Start of lap 2 I was back in contact enough to see 2 guys go off immediately on Central but not in position to help and didn't see who they were. Held my own on Uxbridge and Mendon and by Whitins was moving back to the front, with 2 still away. Sometime after halfway on Whitins Rob Lyons (Finkraft) kinda rolled off the front of the main group and I decided to jump up to him. We didn't get much and when it was obvious he wasn't interested in trying anything, I just upped my tempo somewhat to see what would happen as we passed the dam into the step climb. Well, nobody really came with me when suddenly Mangan comes by hard on my right yelling "let's go". Eh, why not? We got a gap and then I figured this could be a good thing having a lead heading into the climb so I could keep it a bit more steady. Sure enough, that worked and while the field caught up I was in a good position this time to stay right at the front back down to Central.
Start of lap 3 Mangan goes again. I wait thru the feed zone and make sure I have a good position. Then a white kit guy goes followed by Colm McMahon from 545. Okay, this one I gotta cover especially with Campbell and Billings sitting in the field. Initially on Central I'm a bit gassed so let the other 3 do most of the work (getting a few rightly deserved "pull thrus") but then I recover and start equally helping out. We had been given a time gap of 1min earlier on Central. At one point on Uxbridge a moto told us it was 50 sec to the leaders with 35 seconds to the field. But by the end of Mendon descent and onto Barnett that 35 was basically gone and the 4 of us gave it a rest as we came up to Whitins. A chat with Josh about getting together with Lopera from 545 to go again but I'm not recovered enough to be all that effective just yet. By this point though the field has been whittled down to 18 or so, so I hold mid-pack position to recover. We approach Lackey #3 and in what turns out to be my undoing allow a few to swarm past me. Made the right turn onto Lackey, glued to Lyons' wheel hugging the right side when one of the guys who passed me and is now just ahead on my left comes to a dead stop (assuming a dropped chain or some shifting issue). Two guys veer over with one clipping Lyons and those to stop. The other nudges me. I can't stop and rub up against Lyons' rear wheel, taking out my front. Into the dirt/mud and I'm going down. Except now the ground is falling away from me. Oh fun, here's a streambed/ditch going down 2+ feet. Fall into that landing on my right arm and (apparently) hit my head on something. Hey, the running water over me kinda feels good. Jump up, SRAM right there to check the bike (all okay). I've got stuff on my knee and elbow but otherwise am okay. Back on the bike with a push from SRAM but on the steepest part of lower Lackey with the field now at least 30 seconds ahead. Uh, right. Then as I go to get out of the saddle I realize there may have been a bit more than I thought as get some pain in my arm. Okay, see how this goes. Thru the finish, onto Central Tpk and it's abundantly clear I have no prayer of catching back unless they all just sit up (as if there really was any thought..) Just see how things go. Arm progressively gets more sore and stiff and can no longer grip the bars. I'm done. Otherwise, I actually feel okay and really felt ready to help out more on the final two laps. Ride tempo to the finish and get checked out as Alice comes up to meet me.
Badly swollen right elbow and a dented helmet (no crack, but yup, another Lazer bites the dust). Contusion on side of right knee. Coulda been much worse. Bike being checked out fully tomorrow by Landry's as there is a chip on the fork (riding the Giant today, so not another Madone issue!) EMTs said no indication of a break. Nurse Alice, along with her sister (who's an ER nurse) confirmed this. Ice/compression definitely helping so she thinks no ligament damage either. And that's that.