2009 Reston Town Center Grand Prix

Posted by Dan on 30. June 2009 02:22

I've always tried to write my posts to the novice cyclist interesting in racing but hesitant to take the plunge and pin on a number. Or maybe I don't. By now, you are probably familiar with the formula: wake up at dawn, eat, travel, register, dress, warm-up, race an uneventful or super exciting race, then list several good reasons why I didn't come in first. In the interest of brevity, we're going to assume all of those are constants and we'll dive right into the race part.





Kyle and I did the 3/4 race. This was to be Kyle's only race and I entered it because it seemed like the best possible warm-up for the 4 race later that afternoon. Kyle and I both found ourselves in the last row at the line up of 80-some riders, even after they did the call-outs and the pack moved up to the start. The pace took off at a blistering speed and immediately got down to shelling riders off the back. It was actually pretty sweet to move up a few places, wait half a lap or so, look back and see... no one. Anyone deemed 'no longer in contention' was yanked. Kyle ran into some mechanical issues of an unknown origin and pulled out to swap wheels. He got his free lap, but was only with the pack a few more laps before he pulled out again with the same problem. This time they didn't let him back in. So I moved on, secretly thankful that I didn't have to live up to my pledge lead him out in the sprint. So the remainder of my race was spent near the back, which grew closer and closer to the front with each lap. Crashes took some while an official with a whistle nabbed the others. I dodged several crashes, at one point swatting a flying bike away with the back of my hand. I'm not going to lie - I felt a bit like Moses parting the Red Sea. So with 2 to go, I started moving up in earnest. I felt very good and had basically been sitting in the whole race. I know I made up 10-15 positions before another giant crash after Turn 5 split the field but good. I'm going to say 19 riders were in front of that one because I finished 20th and led the chase to unsuccessfully close the chasm. This race was probably my favorite race of the season - I felt strong and the course was awesome. Very technical with a great downhill to recover on, an easy hill that regularly slowed the field down and a decent finishing stretch wide enough to accommodate a spirited sprint. I just wish I'd have moved up when I had the chance.

Within a few minutes of the finish, it started raining. From this point forward, the reader should assume the course is wet and very slippery. I don't believe it was actively raining when the next race started, but it doesn't matter - the splash from a billion race tires make it seem like we riding in a hurricane. Moving on...

At 1:30, Wick and I showed up for the Cat 4 race with guest rider Jarrett. This time, we moved up on the left and got ready to stay in the top 20. 100 riders in this one so being in the back meant working to stay alive. On go, everyone crashed. The end. Seriously, there were crashes nearly every other lap. Turn 5 grabbed so many riders that anyone with a camera wound up there, squatting in the median, ready to get the "action shot" that would make them famous. I tried to smile at them all each time I went by, but smiling wasn't always easy. Wick stayed right near the front (and vertical, I might add). A break of 4 went up the road. Wick gave chase for more than 2 laps and was less than 3 seconds away before he blew up and drifted back to the pack. Rather than drifting all the way to the back, he dug in and stayed in the top 5. Smart move. He was there for the rest of the race.




EXCUSE ALERT!!!
Meanwhile, in the back of the pack, I learned that riding a Bontrager Race Lite Hardcase tire on the rear with wet pavement and crosswalk paint was just stupid. Each and every time I hit paint, I felt the back tire slide out on me. The front was a Bontrager Race XXX Lite 700x22C and never slid an inch. The rear was slippery as a greased eel. I had to stand the bike up vertically to avoid sliding out and hang off the side, into the turn, to hold onto all the speed I could. All of this was very upsetting to one Bike Rack rider, who in a most impolite manner told me to 'learn how to corner'. This coming from a guy who spent the entire race behind ME. So my story goes like this: at the back the whole time, couldn't corner fast enough to stay with the group so I was constantly working on the uphill to catch back up. I burned all my matches and then some in the first 40 of 60 minutes. Eventually, I sat up and pulled out. Enough was enough. Back to Wick.




So there's Wick, still sitting third wheel with 4 riders off the front. Their lead is up to 59 seconds. There was no hope of bringing them back, barring of course a crash, but they knew their lines very well. The break finished and the pack sprinted. Wick wound up with 12th - a legit finish for someone that worked as hard as he did. Well done, Wick.




Now we go back to Kyle. Kyle had the whole Crashfest 4 race to examine his bike and try to find the cause. He entered the 1/2/3 race after thinking he'd fixed it. Unfortunately, under stress, the biked started rubbing again. His rear tire was rubbing the paint off the inside of the left chainstay. A 404 and (true) training wheel both rubbed despite being seated correctly. Strangest thing. So Kyle was unable to bust out his fast twitch muscle fibers and give those northern VA pansies what for. Here's to hoping he takes his A bike to Fitchwich.

The Reston Town Center Grand Prix rocks. It's important to keep in mind that the fields are huge, the pace is fast and you will work for your position. This race does not lend itself to being an A race because of the variables, especially when it rains, but it's fun. And that's why we'll do it again next year.