Bow RR cat 5 35+, Alex Parker, Aug 6
45 starters, 4 NEBCs
16th – Alex Parker
This was my fist time racing at Bow, so chatting with Les about past editions during our warmup was very helpful. The first 1.5 of our three laps were fairly uneventful – the pace gradually accelerated and it was not terribly difficult to ride near but not on the front. On the back side of the course (Knox Road) on lap 2 the eventual winner escaped solo, and initially no one really expected him to stay away. By the time 3 or 4 of us started trying to pull him back, it was too late, and the chase organization, such as it was, did not last. In hindsight, it was perfect situation for this guy to try his tactic, as there was no one team with significant representation amongst those of us who were interested/able to ride near the front (there were two NorEast guys, but every other team had just one rider near the front). On the final serious climb of the third lap (Knox Rd again) I tried to get off the front of the by-then significantly reduced race, overreached, got caught, and went backwards through the group, just getting tailed off at the top of the hill. Chased hard the rest of the way in once I recovered a bit, but ended up finishing a minute down on the group that sprinted for second place.
After this thoroughly forgettable performance, I had a fine time marshalling corner 9 for the second flight of races. Kudos to Pat and all the others who organized the volunteers!
Alex