Michael Schott Circuit Race - 4-5-09 - Cat 4/5
Michael Schott Circuit Race
5 April 2009 – Marblehead, MA
Cat 4/5, 9 laps, 19.8 miles
9 Andrew Schmitt
12 Wayne Cunningham
29 John McGrath
43 James Hall
46 Christopher Payton
51 Lester Bethel
54 Joshua Tetrault
DNF Stefan Wawersik (Crash + Mechanical)
I came into the race with ambitious goals as I finished 3rd the year before and felt like I was in better shape this year than last. Weather was warmer than last year but not pleasant with the chill and wind that make Marblehead the special early season race. NEBC started 8 men but 6 were caught up in crashes.
The course progresses as follows: From the start there is a short fast flat section to the foot of the big hill. Then the hill, which is not long, and only moderately steep. Then a flat/downgrade to a sharp, but wide right hand 90+ degree turn. Then a short flat then up a small rise. Another short flat to the downhill S-bend. A longer flat along the exposed shoreline to the high-speed right hand turn at the start line. The finish is not at the start, but about 200 yards beyond the top of the big hill.
I started near the back of the pack and witnessed some scary bike handling during the first lap and made the decision to get to the front ASAP and stay there. I used the first hairpin turn to move up and continued moving up so that by the conclusion of the first lap I was in the front 10-15 where I would stay for the duration of the race. John was near the front with me as was Wayne, I didn’t see anyone else as they got caught in early crashes.
There were a few breaks, and Wayne bridged up in lap 3 to work with 2-3 others but were reeled in. I was #2-3 wheel for two laps while a BRC rider happily towed the field around until someone in the pack advised him he should stop. One of David Rizzo’s photos shows me trailing him – whoever you are, thanks for the tow.
Things picked up with two to go, at this point there were only 35 or so riders in the lead group. A crash on the ‘big’ hill on the second to last lap forced John to unclip but he was able to get back in for the final run in. Wayne was also in this final group. Threshold cycling started a train with one lap to go with four guys, I jumped on the back. Their #2 man inexplicably failed to pull through and it fell apart. Good idea, bad execution. I rounded the hairpin in the top 10, and didn’t see an NEBC jersey.
On the last ½ mile there were three cars driving in front of us and I was pretty sure we would run into them. The front of the pack agreed and eased up, and a bunch of riders including John filled in near the center line. Then the cars accelerated and cleared. Damn. I navigated for John’s wheel and hooked on at the base of the climb (Rizzo has the photo too, wow), and let him know I was there, but John was spent from chasing after his crash just one lap earlier.
Riders started passing on the hill so I abandoned John’s wheel and gave chase but at that point the gap was too large and I couldn’t close it. I eased up (dumb) and lost a placing to a rider from Threshold putting me in 9th.
Not a bad result and I was happy to avoid going down. I think 6 of the 8 were involved in crashes to some degree. The cars at the finish really blew my rhythm as the set of wheels I had picked all changed when the group passed on the inside and I failed to adjust.
I am in the minority, but my opinion is the race is decided by the top of the hill, with only minor movements possible in what is a downhill sprint. I was going balls-out but couldn’t gain.
Some additional good comments and advice from Stefan:
I heard somebody comment “do they really need to gun it every time we go around that sharp corner.” The front guys can take the turn faster, so they’re not really gunning it, they’re just regaining speed. That corner is always much easier to deal with if you’re in the front third of the pack, as you won’t feel the “accordion effect” (as much).
It was hard to hold position on the sharp turn with the number of people who kept shooting up the outside over the yellow line. In hindsight, it might have made more sense to get off my high horse and do it too, since nobody seemed to be stopping it.
While untangling myself from the scrum that ended my race, I heard somebody commenting that “I don’t know what he was doing, he just started leaning on me.” If someone leans on you, lean back. Best case, you’ll keep both of you from falling and taking out the next 8 guys behind you. Worst case, you’ll push him off to the other side, which in this case would have meant one guy crossing the yellow line and falling, and most of the pack being able to avoid him.