'Piece of cake' - humbled by a hipster!

The 'Piece of Cake' road race was going to be very interesting with the inclusion this year of 3.5 miles of gravel road in each 17 mile loop. Were were to circle three times for a total of 54 miles. In addition to the gravel, the early season racing also meant that wind and rain were part of the mix promising an epic day of racing. Just my cup of tea. The plan was to get riders into the break and support them as appropriate.

Unfortunately, of the five Hammer Velo riders in the Men's 4 field, three of us got dropped right from the start in the gravel section thereby curtailing any possibility of influencing the race in a meaningful way. Only Ian and Mr Smith made into the breakaway. I was first wheel behind AH, who is an excellent time-trialist and, although mindful of the need to block, was hoping that he would help close the gap in the first section of gravel. He could not, and when I took over after the first RH turn in the gravel and revved up the engine, he and the others were gone and the leading group was more than 100m ahead.

Bollocks ! The race was less than 10 minutes old with two and a half hours and 50 more miles to ride, possibly alone.

At this point I was thinking 'crap', what to do now. Drift back and block to help out the two HVers up the road or try and hold my position. As it happened, AH, a kid, and two others bridged up to me on the road section after the gravel. We pacelined for a cople of miles but the two fastest ones soon dropped us and I, following a short uphill surge, dropped the last two to once again be alone.

I then started to pick off several Masters 1/2/3 riders who had begun five minutes before us. I then caught a bearded unattached hipster in my field in a white kit/rain jacket and we rode together for the remainder of the lap. I pulled too hard through the finish line area and he dropped me on the hill. However, he was caught again in the cross wind section amidst the short rollers.

At this point, I decided to reward myself with some fuel and reached back for a perpetuum solid. As I pulled out the tube my drivers license FELL OUT of my back pocket. Wha' the effin' eff. I debated leaving it for recovery later but decided it was perhaps better to go back now. So I circled around and retrieved it. Hipster was now 200m ahead and I began the chase again. It took me half a lap, but I caught him for the THIRD time in the brutal headwind section near the railway tracks. I must have seemed like a small yappy dog to him - persistant, annoying and not going away. We rode together with another rider who decided that two laps were enough for him and turned left back to the parking lot rather than battle on for a third lap.

In the gravel section on this third lap, we caught Ian who was very tired and suffering badly with a dodgy back. We worked together for a while but it was clear that Ian was not going to be able to stay with us. I wanted to keep that pace reasonably high to minimize the chances of getting caught ourselves and Ian dropped off near the start of the headwind about six miles before the finish line.

Like a delusional chess grandmaster, by now I was thinking of the end-game. Hipster looked to be riding fluidly and efficiently and we had established that this was his first Cat 4 race, having rode a Banana Belt race as a Cat 5. I should have asked him how he did in that race! I didn't because I was supremely confident about crushing him in the sprint :). I positioned myself in his draft with about 300m to go.

Like all good sprinters, he was watching and, at the 200m mark, jumped first. I came out from behind and quickly made up half a bike length. We punished ourselves for another 100m with him holding me off in the final drive to the line by half a wheel length to take 9th place to my 10th. Whilst recovering, I glanced around nervously hoping that no one had witnessed me, an aspiring track rider, being beaten in a sprint by a skinny bearded hipster-type. Thinking back, a better strategy would have been to stay in his draft for longer and look to surge past at about the 50m mark.

As I was to learn later, the hipster was in fact a very strong SS 'cross  racer and track rider with a better kilo time than me (and 10 years younger). He had also won the Cat 5 race at Banana Belt.

I feel better now (sniffle....).

This was the only negative about a fantastic, if adversarial, day of racing. I felt pretty good about my race having battled hard to make up ground after the initial droppage while often riding solo or with one other. Pleased too about squeezing into the top 10.

By staying at the pointy end the entire race, Mr Smith proved that he was the strongest and toughest of the HV riders and worthy of our support.

Notably, 40% of the field failed to finish - victims of the gravel-tastic element.

Banana Belt 'training ride'

My first road race of the season was an adventure. After an incident-free preparation and warm-up on the rollers I was feeling good going into the 40+ cat 4/5 race. The plan was for me to deliver KO and maybe HG to the base of the finish-line hill at speed. However, before then I needed to knock down 44 miles and climb the post-dam hill four times. First time round was no problem and actually made it up the hill towards the front of the pack. OH YEAH!

It was going to be a good day.

Then as things were going well, about 3/4 around lap 1 on a slight downhill, I hit a small rock to the right of the fog line and flatted the rear wheel.

Crap!

I waited for the wheel car and we got it changed over quite slowly - prolly lost about 90 secs to the pack. A combination of being very pissed off, my natural stubborness and reluctance to waste the entry fee spurred me to chase - so I time-trialed my arse off. As I reached the dam about 5 miles later, the pack was just exiting the dam. I had made up some ground but was still gapped by about 60 secs. At the base of the hill they were at the top of the hill. I chased for another lap.

However, by the time the dam came 'round again they were already off the dam and up the hill. I was losing ground. My race was probably over.

Then the 50+ field came up behind me, which had started a minute or two behind my 40+ group. They caught me near the top of the hill and I soft pedalled on the extreme right of the road and let them pass. I held a position about 2 bike lengths back from the last rider but in front of the OBRA official's car.

The official pulled up beside me and indicated that he was OK with me being there (off the back with no riders behind) but if I got significantly gapped he expected me to drop off. I agreed and stayed there being careful not to interfere with their race in any way. By now, I had ridden behind the old buggers for 12 miles or so. On the last lap at the hill, the 50+ group gapped me and I slowed. I rode the last half lap with JT who had cramped up and also dropped on the hill. 

Looking at the positive, although I had failed to influence the race in any way, it was a very good workout. By riding alone for 2.5 laps exposed to the wind, likely did more work than anyone in the 4/5s.

So, what can I take away from the race?

First, don't flat.

Second, practice wheel changes. A 45 sec gap that early in the race might have given me a chance, but 90 secs was too much.

Oh, and OBRA officials totally rock.