Nutmeg Classic Criterium and Keith Berger Memorial, June 10/11, Gary Douville
After being out of commission for a few weeks due to the flu, I injected myself back into action with a double header this weekend. Brief race reports as follows:
Cat 4 – Nutmeg Classic – June 10th – The course was good in that it was more than an oval and had some interesting “S” turns and a few sweepers. It had rained hard Friday night so the course was very wet but the rain stopped in time for the races. I road very conservatively in both races on Saturday as I was testing the legs and getting my breathing back. Didn’t contest any of the primes and basically sat in the entire race. I know, wimpy, but I was just glad to be back on the bike and didn’t have much in terms of expectations for the day. With 5 laps to go, I worked my way towards the front and was 5th or 6th wheel going into the last corner and sprinted for a 4th place finish. Both Oscar and Bill raced as well and I am not sure how they fared, but we didn’t employ any team tactics as we mostly sat in for the race although I did see Oscar hanging out towards the front most of the race.
Masters 30+ Cat 4/5 – Nutmeg Classic – June 10th –
I wasn’t sure whether I was going to feel good enough to go for two rounds but after the decent sprint finish I decided that I would do the back to back racing and jump into the Masters race. Much the same story as above although I did work my way up and test the legs on the primes but never set myself up well enough to really contest. The primes are always a way for me to test my legs and lungs and also see who I want to be looking out for in the final sprint. The race was about the same pace as the cat 4 race which is to say that it was a moderate pace, not fast with no real serious breakaway attempts. I didn’t set myself up as well for the final sprint and came as close as ever to being taken out in the second to last corner as two guys sandwiched me forcing me way off line. I went into the final corner 10-12 wheels back and started an early sprint without a wheel and finished in 4th again.
Cat 4 – Berger Memorial – June 11th –
Woke up on Sunday feeling decent and content with having spent time on the bike the day before (also went for a few hour ride in the afternoon in my old stomping grounds in the lovely CT backcountry). The course was a perfect square with 4 90 degree corners, dry and fast. I was a little more motivated and spent some more time closer to the front (not at the front) but didn’t have the motivation to attack or do anything too aggressive. The pace was moderate/fast with several attacks, but nothing serious as anything and everything was chased down. Per my usual tactic, I moved towards the front with 5 laps to go which means that I spent a little more time in the wind, but acknowledged that being towards the front for the last corner was key on this course. I went into the final corner about 7 wheels back and the group basically sprinted from the corner. I had no wheel and just worked my way up including squeezing through and passing 2 guys (I made no contact but one of the guys gave me a hard time after the race) and coming in second about 1/2 a bike length back.
Masters 30+ Cat 1-4 – Berger Memorial – June 11th –
After sitting around, catching some rays, spectating and hydrating for several hours, I jumped into the Masters 30+ with NEBC’s Scott Brooks. I was in the mood to play and started towards the front of the pack and stayed up there for the first 4 laps. After 4 laps, the announcer rang the bell for a $25 prime. We quickly broke off into a 5 man break and somehow I found myself pulling the group from the first corner around the entire course. We put a significant gap on the field and I came across the line second as a guy jumped right before we crossed. In hindsight, I then made my first and last big mistake of the day. The guys said “let’s go” and I, having created the gap, was spent and decided to go hang out in the pack and let the group reel them in. What I should have done was grabbed the 4th wheel, suffered for a half a lap or so, recovered and then worked with the break. Instead, the pack let the break go and never closed the gap. There were several attempts to bridge by individuals (not groups) and none were successful. The pack sprinted for 5th place, and I was roughly 12th across the line. A fast paced, fun and educational race.
I believe, if my basic math is reliable, that I have 22 upgrade points and intend to upgrade after racing this weekend as a 4 at the Cyclonauts Racers Criterium on Saturday and the Housatonic Hills Road race on Sunday.
Hope to see many of you this weekend. Kudos to Andy and Kevin and a few other NEBC riders on Sunday for coming out and racing 2, 3 or 4 races, expect race reports from them.
Gary