Posted by Dan on 27. June 2011 18:07
Sunday's race was also way up north, this time in Reston, VA outside of DC. The RGS Title/Prosperity Mortgage Reston Town Center Grand Prix, coincidentally located in Reston's Town Center, is a technical, figure 8 course laid out over a bit of a lump in the rolling Reston terrain. The back stretch has a nice downhill slope turning into an easy climb in turn 5. The speeds attained during the downhill run to turn 5 and the tightness street it leads to make that turn a perennial favorite of photographers looking to catch crash pictures and video. It rarely disappoints, especially when the roads are wet. It's affectionately referred to as a crashfest and avoided by more than a few people who value their expensive bikes and precious bodily fluids. I myself crashed in the 4 race last year. Regardless of the threat to life and limb, the promoters go all out with this race and the crowds lining the finishing straight coupled with Joe Jefferson's entertaining announcing skills make it a must attend.
Frank and I would be the only representatives for Celerity Cycling. We'd both do the 60 minute Cat 3/4 race in order to advance our BAR standings and get a few upgrade points and if we both survived and had some legs left, we'd line up for the 90 minute 1/2/3 race as well. Good times.
In the 3/4 race, I was a little less active than normal. Recalling the oath my coach made me take, "Primum non laborare", I sat in and let all the other hopeful riders pull the breaks in and control the race. It was actually pretty nice. Sitting in does not change the fact that I still felt good and wanted to go. When a break of 2 riders went up the road and had maybe a 10 second gap on the field, I launched. Hard. I caught them and we started working. Our gap wasn't as big as one would like to see, which discouraged on of my breakmates. We lost him somewhere within that first lap out on our own. In the second lap, I lost the other one. What I didn't know was that Mickey Turner (Carytown Bicycles) was on the front, turning himself inside out to bring me back. While that was happening, I was trying to get the riders in the break to rotate and work together to open up our lead. I should have gunned it until Mickey grew tired. I don't know how many people near the front of that pack were as committed as he was. Down to just me, I held on to take a prime for that lap then sat up and rejoined the main field. The pace slowed a bit and that was it. Nothing else would get away. It'd come down to a bunch sprint. I started the bell lap tight on Mickey's wheel. There was no daylight between the two Michelin Pro 3s. Coming out of turn 5, Mickey was third wheel, I was fourth. I had a rider to my right. In turn 6, the lead rider got wobbly and went way wide while he regained control of his bike. Mickey powered through and the guy on my right leaned in on me, catching Mickey's wheel as he came out of the turn. I shrugged and jumped on his wheel, thinking "You'd better know what you're doing with that wheel." He didn't. In the next turn, Mickey hit the gas and opened a gap. The guy in front of me couldn't hold it. He charged into the final turn and took a tight, inside line which caused him to crash. Fortunately, I was able to brake and miss him, but I did have to restart my sprint at 14 mph in the 53x14. Uncool. I finished in 9th place.
The Doomed 3/4 Break. Photo by Drake Jordan.
Frank's luck was not as good. On the bell lap, he was sitting comfortably mid-pack, working his way up with the plans to do more of that on the short climb. To the photographers' delight, another rider dive-bombed the turn, coming in way too fast trying to make up places. He was unable to hold his line through the turn and hit Frank in the rear wheel. The other guy went down but Frank managed to keep it upright. The kicker is that his borrowed Edge 65 was cracked. Frank had lost his own HED Stinger 6 earlier that week in another race. Losing two expensive carbon wheels in less than a week does not make one pleased with the people one races with.
Primo non laborare. Livin' large in the 1/2/3 race. Photo by Dave Kirkpatrick.
After a mandatory cool-down period, Frank agreed to sign up for the 1/2/3 race. We set about hydrating and preparing for the next race. While warming up, Frank discovered his rear derailleur was eight shades of hosed and would need some serious attention before racing. Half of the Haymarket Bicycles/Home Visit Cycling Team came out to help Frank with his cable problem and he was soon back in the action. The 1/2/3 race started with call-ups which did not include us and took off at a lightning fast pace. There were several good teams who all put a man in the break, then set about controlling the pace of the main field to ensure their escape. I took a few pulls on the front trying to reduce the gap a bit, getting other contenders within firing distance of the break, but it wasn't going to happen. I drifted to the back and finished out my last race of the weekend in 35th, just behind Frank who finished 33rd. We both agreed that the pace and handling of the 1/2/3 field was so much better than the 3/4 race and we questioned whether it was worth doing the 3/4 races anymore. A few more upgrade points and we won't have to worry about it.
Thanks to Evolution Cycling, Joe Jefferson and the boys from Haymarket for making this a great race! Looking forward to 2012.