Hilltowns
Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2019 6:33 pm
Combined 50/60+. Me, The Diesel, Mark Daniels, Ron Hagen and Mike Keohane in a combined field of 50'sh.
Executive summary:
On E. Hawley climb set a new 20min power best (and a 6,8,10,12,15 and even a 30min for that matter when including the continued post-climb efforts).
The Diesel put in a huge effort to quickly regain contact and then almost immediately into some monster pulls after the climb to shed some key guys (and put a couple others in a world of hurt)
Fended off a full on right calf lockup with 10 miles to go.
Caught the guys off the front as we whittled down our group to 5. Let just the slightest of gaps open with ~300 to go into the wind, couldn't close, finished 4th. Over 90% IF for the race.
As to my race plan I pretty much couldn't have felt/executed it better. 3 guys away almost immediately. We wanted to get someone early off the front, but Rich just wasn't feeling good early (but made up for it in a BIG way later). Mark Daniels made a valiant effort to bridge up but was just a bit too late and ended up in no man's land. I sat in with all the key 50+ guys until maybe 200 before the left turn to start the descent when I went hard off the front, eliciting shouts of "we're turning left". Yup, all part of the plan. Held 1st/2nd wheel down the nastiest section of the descent then maintained at least top 5-7. 1/4 mile before the right turn to start the climb I follow Bill Thompson's wheel and we're 1st/2nd (except for the 3 away). I then decide I'm going to dictate the climb. I go very hard early, making it clear that if anyone wants to get around they're going to have to go REAL deep. Then settle in and follow wheels, never worse than 5th. Anytime I sense a lessening, I go to the front, then settle back in. As we near the end of the steepish section Mark Paggioli (CVC) goes solo but nobody else matches so I just wait. As we hit the "false flat but climb's not over" section I start rotating with BIll Thompson to keep things well strung out. 2-3 make it up with us. We begin to recover when Rich comes back! A look back and we have Ulandt Kim (winner at Purgatory) and Cliff Summers (always a top 5 threat) plus a couple others in real difficulty trying to chase. Paggioli still with a gap. So I send Rich to the front and he does his Diesel thing with Bill Thompson glued to his wheel. He's going so hard I'm actually working a fair amount more than I'd like just to hold 4th wheel. Success though as we catch Paggioli, cause Summers et al to take a long, hard effort to regain and never again see Kim.
Then it was just sections of talking up the group and getting organized. Overall good work with what at that time was 9, but could begin seeing 4-5 struggling to regain on the later rollers, mainly those Rich put the hurt on earlier. I actually thought of attacking the group as I felt quite good but thankfully(?) Paggioli beat me to it and now I begin to follow moves from him and Tim Ward (who was 4th at Purgatory).
Then suddenly almost complete disaster with ~10 miles to go when I go from feeling really good to my right calf completely locking. Not just a cramp, as in can't complete a pedal stroke. Thankfully everyone else is fatiguing and I'm able to sit in the back, do some stretching and drinking and hope nobody notices. Takes me a bit, but work thru it. In/out of the saddle back and forth with easy surges seems to help loosen things.
Now fast forward to the final left turn, which takes us into a 4 mile headwind. We just keep whittling down the field so now it's 5. Then at 1K Bill Thompson blows. It's just 4 of us. I really want to go, but both inner quads start badly quivering. Do some weird back and forth (actually not really sure what the hell I was doing at that point). Nobody's really sprinting, but a small gap opens nevertheless and I roll in maybe 3-4 seconds (not the 13 on the results!) back of Paggioli who takes it, with Bill Clark (Errace) 2nd and Tim Ward (River Towns) 3rd.
BUT, Jay Trojan who was in the initial 3 man break attacked the break 30sec before we caught them and he barely held off Paggioli to take the actual win as a 60+. All day off the front, DAMN!!
Executive summary:
On E. Hawley climb set a new 20min power best (and a 6,8,10,12,15 and even a 30min for that matter when including the continued post-climb efforts).
The Diesel put in a huge effort to quickly regain contact and then almost immediately into some monster pulls after the climb to shed some key guys (and put a couple others in a world of hurt)
Fended off a full on right calf lockup with 10 miles to go.
Caught the guys off the front as we whittled down our group to 5. Let just the slightest of gaps open with ~300 to go into the wind, couldn't close, finished 4th. Over 90% IF for the race.
As to my race plan I pretty much couldn't have felt/executed it better. 3 guys away almost immediately. We wanted to get someone early off the front, but Rich just wasn't feeling good early (but made up for it in a BIG way later). Mark Daniels made a valiant effort to bridge up but was just a bit too late and ended up in no man's land. I sat in with all the key 50+ guys until maybe 200 before the left turn to start the descent when I went hard off the front, eliciting shouts of "we're turning left". Yup, all part of the plan. Held 1st/2nd wheel down the nastiest section of the descent then maintained at least top 5-7. 1/4 mile before the right turn to start the climb I follow Bill Thompson's wheel and we're 1st/2nd (except for the 3 away). I then decide I'm going to dictate the climb. I go very hard early, making it clear that if anyone wants to get around they're going to have to go REAL deep. Then settle in and follow wheels, never worse than 5th. Anytime I sense a lessening, I go to the front, then settle back in. As we near the end of the steepish section Mark Paggioli (CVC) goes solo but nobody else matches so I just wait. As we hit the "false flat but climb's not over" section I start rotating with BIll Thompson to keep things well strung out. 2-3 make it up with us. We begin to recover when Rich comes back! A look back and we have Ulandt Kim (winner at Purgatory) and Cliff Summers (always a top 5 threat) plus a couple others in real difficulty trying to chase. Paggioli still with a gap. So I send Rich to the front and he does his Diesel thing with Bill Thompson glued to his wheel. He's going so hard I'm actually working a fair amount more than I'd like just to hold 4th wheel. Success though as we catch Paggioli, cause Summers et al to take a long, hard effort to regain and never again see Kim.
Then it was just sections of talking up the group and getting organized. Overall good work with what at that time was 9, but could begin seeing 4-5 struggling to regain on the later rollers, mainly those Rich put the hurt on earlier. I actually thought of attacking the group as I felt quite good but thankfully(?) Paggioli beat me to it and now I begin to follow moves from him and Tim Ward (who was 4th at Purgatory).
Then suddenly almost complete disaster with ~10 miles to go when I go from feeling really good to my right calf completely locking. Not just a cramp, as in can't complete a pedal stroke. Thankfully everyone else is fatiguing and I'm able to sit in the back, do some stretching and drinking and hope nobody notices. Takes me a bit, but work thru it. In/out of the saddle back and forth with easy surges seems to help loosen things.
Now fast forward to the final left turn, which takes us into a 4 mile headwind. We just keep whittling down the field so now it's 5. Then at 1K Bill Thompson blows. It's just 4 of us. I really want to go, but both inner quads start badly quivering. Do some weird back and forth (actually not really sure what the hell I was doing at that point). Nobody's really sprinting, but a small gap opens nevertheless and I roll in maybe 3-4 seconds (not the 13 on the results!) back of Paggioli who takes it, with Bill Clark (Errace) 2nd and Tim Ward (River Towns) 3rd.
BUT, Jay Trojan who was in the initial 3 man break attacked the break 30sec before we caught them and he barely held off Paggioli to take the actual win as a 60+. All day off the front, DAMN!!