The Vanport Kermesse was a crapton o'fun. Kevin and I represented. We lined up on a gorgeous spring morning with temps approaching 70. With the heroic events of the Hammer Velo crit yesterday foremost in our minds, we were determined to keep the good run of results for the team going. The 3 miles course was half PIR racetrack and half gravel. Perfect for me - one who is a less than stellar road-racer and an ordinary CCX racer. But when elements of these races are combined I tend to do better. Fitted 28C tyres to my roadbike and inflated to 100 psi - high enough to ward off pinch-flats but a little softenss for the gravel.
The field looked to be about 35 strong. As is customary, Kev shot off the front right from the start. Some brutal track racing in the week and a solid PIR TT outing the previous monday (combined with not racing The Hammer Velo Crit yesterday) had me primed to inflict maximum pain. By the time we have reached the racetrack I had made it to the pointy end and had turned into the arsehole who sets the fierce pace. The pack was strung out behind.
By the end of the paved racetrack section a breakway of about seven had formed and I was one of them. Goodness! We kept the pace high through the gravel-tastic portion, the short slightly uphill rutted grass section, the technical gravel turn just before the start-finish line. On the second lap five riders got away, leaving me and a skinny roadie. We tried to get back on for a lap and a half but were caught by a chase group of about eight. Just as we had set up an organized pace line to chase the lead group, no more than 200 yeards ahead and catchable, a Showers Pass rider attacked.
Bollocks.
Our group exploded.
One of the cyclisme juniors went after him as did I. It was clear that the chase group behind could not bridge up to us so we pressed on. We continued for another lap until the SP rider gave up and drifted back to the pack chasing Cyclisme junior and I.
Kev was on the sidelines - which did not make sense to me in my tiny world of confusion - why was he not racing?. Something has ended his day.
We passed one of the lead group riders dealing with a flat.
Bonza ! - now only 4 up the road/gravel.
Cyclisme and I worked well together to make sure that we stayed away. Then the bell lap. To my surprise, we maintained the gap to our chase group until another junior bridged across. The three of us worked together for the final mile or so. We passed another lead group rider with a flat.
Bonza squared! - now only three up the road and gravel from me.
We powered through to the finish. Looks like I came home in 4th on the 4/5s. Skinny roadie came in about 40 seconds later. While delighted with that, I was most pleased with how it unfolded - riding and staying away from a group of six or so roadies.
Riding the road bike was definitely the best strategy - it was a roadies course, and those that rode 'cross bikes were at a disadvantage on the smooth fast racetrack which comprised about 40% of the route.
It was a really fun race - with more mini dramas than an episode of 'Real Elvis Wedding Planners of Las Vegas'. It seems that a road and gravel mix is a reasonable combination for this Wombat.
Thanks for an excellent race report, Sprint Wombat. That was one of the most fun races I have ever ridden.
ReplyDeleteAs the SP rider in question, I have to offer a little rationale for what may have seemed a squirrelly attack--but what I really intended as a surge (to drag the group with me) and not necessarily a splintering move. You see, the trouble with our "organized pace line" was that the juniors, particularly their eventual winner who was repeatedly glancing over his shoulder, were cat-and-mousing one another. There was, without pushing, simply no way they would help us chase the leaders of the 4/5's while feeling one another out. In their race position speeding up posed no tactical advantage. Sensing they had grown weary of dragging our asses around and were (as they should have been) racing against one another, I pushed things. I thought more 4/5's would make it. Alas, this attack eventually culminated in my burning out (first race o' the year) and Cyclisme and you dropping me off in the grass about a lap later. Hats off to you for keeping the pace so hot on those last two laps. A well-deserved top five.
Thanks. It WAS a fun race. You were riding strong and I thought that we were all going to make it. A couple of riders in the pack groaned when you attacked which spurred me to bridge up. Understandable that you faded a little without much racing. I wish I could have helped the Cyclisme kid a bit more since he was the one making the moves. We were caught late on the PIR section by one of the other juniors and Cyclisme ended up second.
ReplyDeleteNice ride Wombat. I was that "skinny roadie". I could see you but couldn't catch you on the last lap. That was a tough, fun course.
ReplyDeleteSR - You looked good and held a very consistent pace. Felt sure that you were going to catch us towards the end. Good times.
ReplyDeleteDid anyone actually measure how long the lap was and how many laps the lead did? That was painful... On 23c's...
ReplyDeleteI clocked the laps at about 3 miles 'round and I think that we did 5 of them. It was all a bit hazy in my oxygen-deprived state.
ReplyDelete