Fitchburg CAT 4 RR - 7-4-08
Top NEBC Summary Results
GC Brian Campbell (18th), Taylor Barefoot (21st), Keith Reynolds (25th)
Points Keith Reynolds (5th), Eric Wemhoff (6th), Colby Ricker (10th)
Stage 1 Colby Ricker, Keith Reynolds, Brian Campbell
Stage 2 Taylor Barefoot, Brian Campbell, Colby Ricker
Stage 3 Colby Ricker, Bernard Tan, Brian Campbell
Stage 4 John Gibbons, Brian Campbell, Keith Reynolds
Stage 1
My basic plan was to wing it since the last time I did a time trial was 2 or 3 years ago at the CBTT. I started out the gate blazing fast and felt great then after the first climb at about 1 ½ miles I was totally cooked. I slowed a bit to recover and get into a climbing mode. After a few minutes I got into rhythm and at mile 5, I caught the person who had a 1:30 start on me! Then the down hill came and the lack aero bars and helmet hurt. The rider I passed, caught me and with his aero setup was able to put 18 seconds on me in just the final 1 ½ miles. Final result 20:11, 37th place.
Stage 2
This was the stage I was gearing towards. The afternoon start was a big benefit since the roads had dried and the temp was about 70. I took Anthony’s advice and did not warm up since the first 8 miles were flat which worked out well for me (It was great to have Anthony and Michael at the tent giving out advice). The first four laps were pretty uneventful. I was surprised how easy the field climbed through Princeton and by the time we past through the feed zone I was fully recovered ready for another lap.
The only part of the race which I feared was the big decent, however 99% of the riders stayed in position. For the points competition a few riders had jumped off the front. I remained in the middle of the pack and could not see what was going on. At the start of the last lap, the field picked up speed to pull in the leaders just before the Princeton climbs (I think a pair of Cambridge Bicycle riders did 95% of the work, an amazing effort). Then there was a big slow down on the final pass through the feed zone, riders on the left soft pedaled while riders on the right took water (my speedometer was in the low teens and I was able to rest for the finish.) After the feed zone the pace picked up and the field strung out. I moved up to about a mid 20th position limiting my exposure. The front group stayed together through the first climb after the park entrance until the final left turn up the mountain. There was a minor acceleration at the flat
section which I let go and about 20 riders went ahead. I started climbing in my 25 with my head down not worrying anyone else. (One thing I have learned is to climb mountains at your pace. Chasing can be deadly.) Riders started falling off and by the time I hit the final right turn I was in 9th. Then with about 20m to go our 128 lb Taylor blew past me like I was standing still. It was an amazing pace for the grade. At the top I collapsed on the grass and did not move for about 15 minutes.
Stage 3
This was my first Circuit race so I was not expecting much but with the hill I thought a top 10 was achievable. I was not used to the tight turns through the campus area and was not fond of the constant jockeying for position. Every lap was pretty similar; separation from the Pearl St. climb and regrouping on the Lincoln St. Keith was doing a great job competing for points during the race. The only eventful incident was when a rider two positions in front of me rode into the right metal barrier at the top of Pearl St. His bike went sideways taking out the person behind him. I started leaning against the rider to my left and somehow squeaked by with a falling bike tire hitting against my right leg. (Unfortunately Joe got mixed up in the accident and he went down.) I sprinted to catch the front group. I lost track of the laps and thought we were on 7 but it was actually 8. So when we hit Pearl St. I spun up the hill for 22nd while the field
sprinted. I realized my mistake when I saw riders stopping just after the finish line. I guess I should stick to races which I can count the laps on one hand :).
Stage 4.
My main goal was to help Joe get some upgrade points by giving him a lead out on the last lap and of course to stay upright. Since this was my first crit, everyone warned me this course was a crazy but I was still not prepared for the risks riders were taking on the Putnam St turns. Riders diving in on the left side just before turn 2 made me very nervous and I was amazed there were not more accidents. As the race wore on, the field started to spread slightly and the turns were not has packed. I was having a hard time maintaining a mid 20s position on Boulder Dr. because of the constant flow of riders pulling up along the sides. There would be a slow down at the turns so everyone fit and a big sprint at the start of Main St. to rejoin the front group. Racing at the front was the best option but I could not maintain a front position without exposure so I gave up and settled into a middle of the pack for most of the race. An interesting thing
happened to me when I took turn one on the inside and a rider to my right decided to cut the turn a little too tight and pushed me into the curb. I stopped shifting left when my shoe hit the curb and I ended up taking the rest of the turn with my shoe riding the curb holding me in position! I have no idea how I stayed up right. (Maybe I should look into skate boarding when I get tired of racing). On the last lap I moved into a top 30 position just before Putnam St. hoping I would not get cut off again. Unfortunately there were two accidents around Putnam St. This slowed Joe, Bernard and I while the front group got through. By the time I hit Main St. the front pack was gone and there was no hope of getting a top ten so and I raced up the street for 33rd. Luckily John Gibbons was up to the task and grabbed 4th. Nice Job!
All in all I was happy with my results for my first stage race. I was kicking myself for not taking the TT more seriously and borrowing some aero bars and riding the course before hand. An extra 30 – 35 seconds would have put me within reach of a top ten GC.
This race really showed the depth of our team. No one rider dominated and the different courses highlighted the different strengths we have. Joe was very impressed with everyone’s performance at the race as we had a team that was primed and ready from day one. The team worked extremely hard together and the end result was, several members in the top 30 of the race in overall GC many taking top ten finishes in the stage races.
Well on to CAT 3 for me.