Norwell Circuit Race - Cat 3/4 men's - 7-28-08
The finishers:
Peter Chiu – 1st
Scott Brooks – 4th
Keith Reynolds – 13
Mike Good – 22
Joe Jussaume – 24
Mike Rowell – 26
Robert Dibattista – 45
Julian Gent – 47
Barry Greenberg – 51
Oscar Jimenez – 54
Josh Tetrault – 57
The course:
A 2.5 mile rolling circuit with a long false flat into a 400 meter uphill finish.
The reports:
Mike Rowell
Going into this race I knew that I didn’t have a whole lot left to offer. I’d done the Masters 35+ race earlier that day, which seemed like a good idea at the time. I’d crushed myself going with each break attempt and then trying to bridge back when the real split, which I missed, occured. Needless to say I wasn’t optimistic about my chances and decided I’d just sit the race out instead.
So on the start line I decided to see what happened and conserve. I spent the race just sitting in. The pace was high the entire race and breaks were not succeeding though many were attempted. Oscar was on fire and Scott had a go as well. It would be a sprint finish. I was actually momentarily glad as I found in the early laps that I could go up the hill faster than many. Unfortunately by the 25th time up the hill the sprint just wasn’t there even though I was able to weasel in behind the NEBC leadout train just before the final climb. With about 30 yards to go, when it flattened out, I was done and sat up as people came by me. I could see that NEBC had done well ahead of me and that hoards of red, white and blue were coming by me for a string of solid finishes. Congrats to all on a great team performance.
I’m beat. It’s time for a rest.
Peter Chiu
I have to say first that the race was 100% a team effort. Everyone played an important role in setting up the win. My thanks go out to the team and especially to Barry and Scott for sacrificing themselves for me. Word on the street is that other teams were in awe of the pro lead out!
I was pretty gassed after doing a bad Hilltowns (on my birthday no less). Unfortunately, I hadn’t been able to sleep well that night, and the legs were feeling pretty sore. My warm up consisted of rolling around in the parking lot for 15 minutes doing intervals: 2 minutes of coasting, 1 minute of light pedaling. When a minuteman rider asked me how I felt, I responded, “dude, I give myself a 40% chance of taking top-3… I’m guessing there’s a 60% chance I’m gonna be dropped. I hope there isn’t a breakaway.”
Scott called me over in the parking lot and told me I was the go-to-guy for the sprint, and I wasn’t 100% sure I was up to the task. When you get lead out guys, you have to deliver the goods. I wasn’t even sure I was going to finish! That wasn’t the only plan, though. Sending guys up the road with the breaks would allow us (leadout men and sprinter) to keep our powder dry. Cool beans.
In the first mile, I felt like vomiting, but after that I settled into the race and made sure to stay in the front 15-20 guys. The breaks went (at least one NEBC rider in every single one), and the team did a great job blocking. One rider was yelling repeatedly, “NEBC, stop chasing your own team!” I turned to him and said, “dude, are you serious? Four riders riding four-abreast on the front of the field while we’re chatting. If you call this a chase, I don’t want to be on your team. Ever.” He shut up pretty quickly after that.
Coming up on the last two laps, it looked like the race was going to stay together. Two Breakaway Boston riders were sitting on the front making sure the pace was high. I looked around the front 20-25 guys and didn’t say another Breakaway rider, so I was a little worried that we were going to get swarmed when they decided to stop leading the sprint out. After that, things got a little hazy. I focused 100% on my landmarks (stone wall… cones… entrance turn… slight drag uphill) and staying glued to Scott’s wheel. I was a little freaked out when Chris (Quad cycles) accelerated on the left, because I thought he was trying to make a late attack. It turns out he was trying to keep the pace high for his teammate Jeremy. However, when he looked back and saw Jeremy out of position, he started to slow down and swing from one side of the road to the other. At one point, I yelled to Scott, “GO STRAIGHT!” when Chris snaked his way to the other side of the road. I was worried that I would be boxed in during the sprint if the pace slowed anymore. Scott kept his cool and slid up a little.
From here, I’m not sure what happened, because I was so focused on my positioning, choosing a gear, and cracking that final corner on the inside. I know just a few facts.
FACT: Barry killed it on the front as part of a two-stage lead out.
Nobody was coming around anyone before the sprint opened up.
FACT: A CLNoonan rider craftily pushed me off of Scott’s wheel.
FACT: Scott dropped some mad watts to launch the sprint through the corner.
FACT: I feathered the brakes to crack the corner on the inside. FACT: I went fast up the little hill. I had actually considered putting it into a higher gear, because I was pushing my gear pretty comfortably, but then I remembered that I’ve been overgeared in most of my sprints in the past year, so I dropped it into a lower gear. FACT: Pheochromocytoma is uncool (random fun fact I learned at Hilltowns)
FACT: I had time to put my hands up to celebrate the win.
FACT: Wedding cakes are fun to make.
FACT: Barry and Scott could have led out anyone for the win, because the lead out was so fast that Scott rolled in for 4th place.
That’s all I know.
We ran the race as a team event, and everything worked out perfectly! Amazing!
Barry Greenberg
Great team result in the ¾. Kudos to all the guys for their repeated attacks, which forced the smaller teams to bridge and chase over and over! I could see the field getting more and more tired. The hill wasn’t as bad late in the race as I feared after the first lap. The last few times up it I was passing people without killing myself. I went up front to block a couple times and quickly learned why no breaks could stick: the course is FAST!!
On the final lap I moved up into about 6th place at the crest of the hill, heard the bell then Scott, “Barry, I’m on your wheel.” Down thru the corner I looked back to see who Scott had brought to the front. Peter! I knew he could finish well on this course and had been wisely sitting-in the whole race (after Hilltowns the day before). A Team Breakaway rider was on the front with a teammate in 3rd, a Quad in 2nd, me in 4th. The Breakaway rider repeatedly tired but Quad wouldn’t pull thru so Breakaway kept stomping the pedals. I don’t know where he got the strength to keep the whole field at bay, but I was really impressed— and relieved!! On the second downhill, a surge came on the left and Scott got scrubbed from my wheel, but soon I heard, “Barry, I’m back.” Great work by Scott and Peter. A few hundred meters from the bottom of the finish hill a strong move came on the left and I tagged onto it, keeping 4th wheel. When that leader slowed and the two ahead of me hesitated, I took off, carved the final turn and got out of the way as Scott and Peter charged up to the line! Sweet.
I was spent, and went from first to last in the span of 200m on the hill. It was a lot of fun, and truly a team_win!! Hopefully the race will continue to get good word-of-mouth and grow.
Michael Good
Norwell was a fun race. I approached the race with the goal of being active and not just sitting in. Having the whole road to work with was great. It really made it much easier to move around in the field. I feel like I accomplished my goals, I raced at the front of the field, got out into a couple of breaks, and did some blocking. Or at least tried to, blocking is tough with no yellow line. My only regret is that I wasn’t more attentive on the climb heading into the bell lap. I let my positioning slip back to around 20th thinking there would be opportunity to move up during the final lap. Things picked up right from the top of the hill with guys trying to come forward, taking risks and cutting people off. I held my place as best I could but couldn’t move up as much as I had hoped. If I had crested that hill closer to the front I would have been better able to hold my position heading into the final climb ..
Keith Reynolds
Sunday I awoke to some partially recovered legs, thanks in-part to doing some hills with Scott, Barry and Michael Good the day before. I left the decision to race day and decided I wanted to join in the fun. After a calm warm-up through a rural neighborhood we lined up and I heard my favorite instruction – we had the “entire road” within the circuit. Rolling out I didn’t quite notice where the circuit began and almost didn’t see the finish line the first time around, though I had plenty of opportunity to realize it during the 11 other times we would ascend. NEBC was well represented with over 10 racers in the ¾ field and I found it fun to mix in with Scott, Barry, Michael Rowell and others. Most of the laps there was some kind of NEBC activity going on; a mini-break attempt with blocking up front, chasing counter attacks and sitting in for a recovery. At one point I jumped up to a small group while Michael G sat on the front yet we were swallowed up within a minute or two. In short the pack wasn’t letting much happen with such a wide course. Scott would launch some of us off at times and he himself took off with no other teams bridging up. Again, nothing formed and we patiently waited for the last lap. Barry told me it was “move-up” time just after the double right turns and I didn’t try hard enough. I watched the front cautiously just before the last right turn where Barry lined up with Scott and Peter; the ultimate lead out train. Barry selflessly threw down the hammer and launched Scott and Peter Chiu to the finish where I was able to see Peter’s hands go up in victory. Nice work boys!
Joe Jussaume
Just an awesome team effort. Everyone took their turn at the front, everyone sacrificing themselves for the betterment of the team. All in an effort to get Peter the win. It made me proud to be a member of such a great club! A super fast race with our team taking 1st and 4th. It does not get any better!
Scott Brooks
Winning is always a lot more fun then just riding, but winning as a team, with a plan that was executed is the most fun you can have. During the first ten laps, there were several fun moments. Mike Good and Keith Reynolds were in a small break and I moved to the front. Just as I got there, I heard snickering from a rider who was commenting “Nice job chasing down your own teammates.” I really wanted to point out to him that because everyone was following the rider in front and not paying attention, I had brought the pace from 23 to 18 before someone came around. Dude, that’s called effective blocking. At another point in the race, there was a small group up the road, I came up next to Oscar and asked him if he wanted to get in it. YES! was his reply. He grabbed my wheel, and I attacked the pack and made it about halfway to the break. He came around me and made it the rest of the way while I coasted back. Shortly after getting back into the pack, there were several attempts by other riders to bridge. They made it about halfway, lost steam and came back. It’s good to be part of a strong team.
With half a lap to go, I looked over my shoulder and saw Peter.
Knowing that he had been staying protected, I moved up to Barry’s
wheel and let him know I was there. The final mile found Barry
surfing fourth wheel, and I did my best to hold it. Even losing it, I
fought to get it back. The original thought was to have Barry drop me
about 300 meters from the turn, where I would deposit Peter for the
climb, but the finish was so fast, we hit the turn and Barry dropped
me. I gave it everything I had up the hill and just held my line,
letting Peter come around. Out of the corner of my left eye, I saw a
Coast to Coast rider and I thought all was for nothing. Then I heard
someone yell ‘GO PETER’ and I saw him on my right side. He was moving
so swiftly, that I knew he would hold it. My task then was to just
get across the line. With a sizeable gap behind me, I was able to
power my way to fourth! Great finish by the tea