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I am racing my first stage race as a Cat3 this weekend at the Willamette Valley Classic. Mostly, I am entered to gain some early-season fitness (we have been dealing with terrible weather, and I didn't ride for 3 months or so due to snow-I am a wimp I guess!). I am a bit short on experience (2 races this season, three last season as a Cat5, two the year before) so it will be a great learning opportunity. Lots of strong people have come up from California: the field looks to be of better quality that the typical 3 road race here in Oregon.
The field is full at 100 riders, and we only have 1/2 of the road to work with. Course is flat, VERY windy, 3 loops of 17.5 miles each. I start off in the field at about 70th, which is a big mistake. Due to the narrow road, it is nearly impossible to work my way up toward the front. I am stuck back there, maybe working my way up to about 50th before the one small climb on the first lap (something like 150 feet of elevation gain-more like a speed bump). I move around in the bunch, trying to find a way toward the front (as do my teammates) but without much success. Riding this far back is definitely nervous: lots of yo-yoing and brakes being touched. Not to mention the trucks passing us in the other lane at high speed, and the severe crosswind. On the descent of the first hill, somebody touches wheels at speed, then the guy behind goes down. We are riding 5 wide at this point. I had nowhere to go and tried to bunnyhop the dude's Orbea, but only made the front wheel over the bike, and my rear wheel gets hung up in his front triangle. Thankfully nobody was hurt, but that was a close one. We have to chase for a mile or two and catch back on. Then, I get the bright idea to try and move up out of trouble. Problem is that the only way to the front is into the crosswind. I make an effort, and get toward the front, but am hung out in the exposed side of the peloton a little too long. Right then we make a turn that gives us a tailwind. A big acceleration from the front, and I am off the back. I regroup and make it back up, only for the peloton to be stopped (school bus ahead). First lap down, we are averaging just under 25mph. Several riders were shelled. Second lap starts, and things calm down a bit. I am able to make a bit of progress toward the front. A motor home passes us, then stops in front of us at the next intersection and holds up the peleton. Then the motor home tries to make a left turn and sideswipes the lead car with a loud "crunch"! Why they don't make these "older than average" motor home drivers get a CDL license is beyone me: this thing must have been 45 feet long!
Starting the second time up the small hill, I start to make my way toward the front. A teammate and myself each do some pulls once on the flats again to get toward the front and out of danger. We are moving well, up into the top 20. Just when all looks good, the peloton starts to slow, and I find people lining past me (I am moving toward the back again). So, I get out into the wind and try to move up toward the front, along with a couple of other riders (same as last lap-I should have learned my lesson). I get hung out there too long (when I get toward the front, I get stuck out there, unable to integrate into a more protected area). Pretty soon, I notice that I am getting really tired. Right then, we make the turn that takes us downwind, and a huge acceleration comes. I am completely gassed and dropped like a hot potato. By the time I could regroup, the peloton is moving away at 30+mph (we are still averaging something like 24.7mph at this point). I couldn't bridge back up, and once we turned again into the wind, there was no chance. I got into a group with another 5 guys (two of which were from the Pro/1/2 race and had been dropped) and we take turns pulling and ride the remaining lap in. Even with the 6 of us, we struggle to average 21mph in the high winds.
Well, it was a great learning experience. Had I been in a more protected position and been toward the front, not wasting energy, I likely wouldn't have been in trouble. I felt fine except when I got exposed at the windward edge of the peloton, and being hung out there, even in a severe crosswind, 3rd wheel, isn't smart for 5 minutes or more. At the end, the finishing bunch was about 40 riders, or so I heard. I have alot of learning to do, and training so that if I do get into a bad spot, I don't totally blow, like I did today. I didn't feel too bad though, as lots of pretty strong guys either were dropped or barely hung on. It was a really fun time. I am looking forward to tomorrows circuit race: supposedly there will be a combined 2300 feet of climbing over 36 miles, which will chop up the pace a bit and be better for me. Racing is alot of fun!
The field is full at 100 riders, and we only have 1/2 of the road to work with. Course is flat, VERY windy, 3 loops of 17.5 miles each. I start off in the field at about 70th, which is a big mistake. Due to the narrow road, it is nearly impossible to work my way up toward the front. I am stuck back there, maybe working my way up to about 50th before the one small climb on the first lap (something like 150 feet of elevation gain-more like a speed bump). I move around in the bunch, trying to find a way toward the front (as do my teammates) but without much success. Riding this far back is definitely nervous: lots of yo-yoing and brakes being touched. Not to mention the trucks passing us in the other lane at high speed, and the severe crosswind. On the descent of the first hill, somebody touches wheels at speed, then the guy behind goes down. We are riding 5 wide at this point. I had nowhere to go and tried to bunnyhop the dude's Orbea, but only made the front wheel over the bike, and my rear wheel gets hung up in his front triangle. Thankfully nobody was hurt, but that was a close one. We have to chase for a mile or two and catch back on. Then, I get the bright idea to try and move up out of trouble. Problem is that the only way to the front is into the crosswind. I make an effort, and get toward the front, but am hung out in the exposed side of the peloton a little too long. Right then we make a turn that gives us a tailwind. A big acceleration from the front, and I am off the back. I regroup and make it back up, only for the peloton to be stopped (school bus ahead). First lap down, we are averaging just under 25mph. Several riders were shelled. Second lap starts, and things calm down a bit. I am able to make a bit of progress toward the front. A motor home passes us, then stops in front of us at the next intersection and holds up the peleton. Then the motor home tries to make a left turn and sideswipes the lead car with a loud "crunch"! Why they don't make these "older than average" motor home drivers get a CDL license is beyone me: this thing must have been 45 feet long!
Starting the second time up the small hill, I start to make my way toward the front. A teammate and myself each do some pulls once on the flats again to get toward the front and out of danger. We are moving well, up into the top 20. Just when all looks good, the peloton starts to slow, and I find people lining past me (I am moving toward the back again). So, I get out into the wind and try to move up toward the front, along with a couple of other riders (same as last lap-I should have learned my lesson). I get hung out there too long (when I get toward the front, I get stuck out there, unable to integrate into a more protected area). Pretty soon, I notice that I am getting really tired. Right then, we make the turn that takes us downwind, and a huge acceleration comes. I am completely gassed and dropped like a hot potato. By the time I could regroup, the peloton is moving away at 30+mph (we are still averaging something like 24.7mph at this point). I couldn't bridge back up, and once we turned again into the wind, there was no chance. I got into a group with another 5 guys (two of which were from the Pro/1/2 race and had been dropped) and we take turns pulling and ride the remaining lap in. Even with the 6 of us, we struggle to average 21mph in the high winds.
Well, it was a great learning experience. Had I been in a more protected position and been toward the front, not wasting energy, I likely wouldn't have been in trouble. I felt fine except when I got exposed at the windward edge of the peloton, and being hung out there, even in a severe crosswind, 3rd wheel, isn't smart for 5 minutes or more. At the end, the finishing bunch was about 40 riders, or so I heard. I have alot of learning to do, and training so that if I do get into a bad spot, I don't totally blow, like I did today. I didn't feel too bad though, as lots of pretty strong guys either were dropped or barely hung on. It was a really fun time. I am looking forward to tomorrows circuit race: supposedly there will be a combined 2300 feet of climbing over 36 miles, which will chop up the pace a bit and be better for me. Racing is alot of fun!