2008 Velo-Cross A Masters Team Race Report
======================
Conditions:
======================
Sunny, warm and calm with temps in the upper 70’s. Overall, excellent weather with dry but tacky conditions.
======================
The Course:
=====================
The course started on the track and made 3/4 of a loop before heading off and up a small rise to a 90 degree left, swoop down and a hairpin up on a steep and somewhat loose slope then back cross-slope into a left back upslope and over the small rise, now in the woods. A slight down singletrack into a hard right that swooped down and then back up and here were the only rocks you’d encouter (a half dozen scattered in the doubletrack trail painted neon orange). Now the fun started, a hard right into a steep cross slope down and an offcamber somewhat loose 120 degree turn around a tree into a steep up. Hard, but ridable and faster to ride from what I saw. Crest the rise and a hard rightbenchcut and drop down to the right, over a bridge and down some more into a series of 3 switchbacks then a fast down and out into a slight up and you break out of the woods and into a field. An out and back switch and into the hardest feature of the day, a super tight corner on super loose ceramic rubble from the aluminum casting shop next door. It was similar to riding on broken seashells. Now you had a straight into a couple out and back turns and a scramble up a loose but short climb back to track level but you were run in the loose sandy soil along the track. Cross the track and onto the infield for more out and back turns and two sets of barriers then around the track to the finish line.
Long description of a short course but what a great job they did with what they had. I’d have to say that this was one of my favorite courses to date. Laps were on the short side at just over 5 minutes each.
======================
Results:
======================
NEBC had a solid Master’s 35+ presence in the P/1/2/3 race and excellent coverage within the field.
- Mike Rowell – 3rd
- Scott Brooks – 4th
- Chris Smith – 6th
- Wayne Cunningham – 8th
http://www.bikereg.com/Results/2008/09/20-New-England-Velo-Cross-Challenge.asp
======================
Reports:
======================
[Mike Rowell]
After the preride of the course I was very pleasantly surprised and hoped for the best. We had a small field int he A master’s race but a big NEBC presence and some good competition. At the gun Corner Cycles Sammy Morse pinned it and mayhem ensued to get around the track and into the woods first. I got cut off on the initial up and had to run the first offroad into switchback climb, which actually got me into 3rd spot with Scott Brooks right on my tail. From there I battled for 2nd with BikeReg rider Brant Hornberger. I’m not sure why I felt the need to get ahead of him but I spent a ton of energy doing so. When I finally did get by him, I quickly faded and popped off. D’Oh!
The rest of the race was trying to keep it steady, climb back into it and not get caught. Because the course doubled back on itself so often, you could see exactly where everyone was around you and I could see Scott, Chris and Wayne battling hard not too far away. I’d lost about 50 yards on the lead pair and by the midpoint in the race it was starting to come down. Checking my split times I was near the same lap to lap so I was maintaining well. With 2 to go I managed to pull it back to just seconds but I was never able to quite re-attach when the final lap surge came on. In the end, Brant was able to get by Sam and put about 10 seconds into him and I finished about 6 behind Sam with Scott charging hard right behid me.
Lesson learned; I don’t need to ride off the front like in a MTB race. It’s perfectly fine to sit in the lead pack and wait for the initial surge to subside before starting the attacks, unless of course you are the strongest and can just ride off the front.
[Scott Brooks]
The skies Saturday morning were clear, the conditions perfect. It was then that I decided to start the second season, or cyclocross. I arrived at the track, and took a couple of warm-up laps. Over the summer, I reaquainted myself with mountain biking to hopefully improve my cross technique. Immediately the course left the velodrome and had two quick up hill sections that were relatively loamy. Even on the warm-up laps I knew that my mountain biking was paying off, as I was more aggressive in corners and the somewhat technical sections.
The second area that I targeted this year to improve upon was my starts. Typically I will go super hard, take the hole shot, then spend the rest of the race drifting backwards. On the line, there were several big guns and I decided to try to get fourth wheel into the woods. That shouldn’t be too deep in the red, but won’t make me regret starting slower. Through the first two laps, I stayed fourth wheel, with Mike and the other two guys moving around a bit. Then on the third lap, I caught a pedal and had a difficult remount in about ten seconds and a good size gapped formed with the leading three. I spent the rest of the race sitting in fourth place, often having to fight the mental aspect of racing, because I couldn’t see the guys in front any more, nor could I really see the guys behind. True definition to no-man’s land. Final result was 4th place. A good start to the second season.
This race also marks my entry into Master’s racing. Thanks to cross’ “racing up” I can race the big fast guys.
[Chris Smith]
I felt I rode the race fairly well. I felt a little sluggish and I was having trouble finding spots on the course to pass. I was starting to close in on Scott and had a chance of catching him until the masters 45+ came up behind me. I let them around then they slowed up and any chance I had of moving up was gone and then the last time through the infield I caught a toe on the last barrier and very ungracefully fell as JD passed me. I finished 6th.
[Wayne Cunningham]
All the cross races seam to be foggy in my memory. I think it is do to the intense effort. I start off as hard as I can then have to back off after 2 to 3 laps for a lap (from upper anaerobic to lower anaerobic) or more then try to come back on for the final 2 or 3 laps. This year seems to have me chasing after our very own Chris Smith. I got off to a good start on Saturday and was battling with Chris and Dave Barr I put on a hard effort to pass Dave and stay with Chris, But Dave came back on the track and I could not respond. They both got away from me at that point out were still in sight and I thought with a little rest and the help of the 45+ Rider (Eric Marro) coming up I could get back up to them if all went well. As we entered the woods the rear felt soft and as I was trying to make up my mind if I should do a bike swap or not I rode passed the pit before I knew it. So with a whole lap to go on a truely low tire I could not do to much. Tubular stay on well flat but don’t corner well. A quick bike change in the pits With Jean and I’m off. I was able to regain 2 or 3 of the stop I lost, but could not make it up to Cris again.