Killington Vermont
May 28 29 30
Masters 50+
60 Starters
Race Preview and Goals-
My form coming in is very good, not optimum, I have only 3 races under my belt and could indeed be a bit thinner, but I was looking for a top 5 GC finish and a top 3 in the queen stage on Monday.
Stage1
Circuit Race 3 laps of an 18 mile loop.
Rolling, no real climbs-3 KOM sprints on a slight elevation grade hill.
Stage Preview- This stage typically features limited fireworks as it always ends up in a mad 40MPH field sprint. The good idea for GC riders is to not put your nose in the wind if possible all day, and that was my intention. The KOM jersey was not a goal as the KOM sprints in this stage are on such a slight hill anyone can get them, not really worth the effort to burn some matches here it seemed to me.
The race- We started in 62 degrees, light rain, wet roads. Sounds bad but we have had such a shit spring it was not really a big deal.
Lap 1 was steady, some small attacks but nothing really sticking, all the GC guys at the front keeping an eye on each other. First KOM was taken by a small break up the road.
Lap 2 the drizzle let off and the roads started to dry, the pace was again steady, small accelerations, nothing really to shout about.
I felt quite good but had not really done anything so it was hard to tell. That changed as we approached the second KOM and my friend Haluk Sarci pointed to his rear wheel seemingly saying hang on, I am going to lead you out. OK then, change of plans but here we go. He lit the lamp pretty hard in the last K and the field was pretty strung out as we approached the right turn and the 200 M to go sign. Just as we turned I jumped full gas and rode away from the group, snagging KOM 2. Thanks Haluk, that worked nicely. Not in the plan, but what the hell, you see an opportunity, you take it.
Lap 3 saw more of the same, we headed for KOM 3 and now I had to think about some strategy as I was in the hunt for the jersey. A two man break was just up the road and I waited and waited for someone to close the little gap to them before the KOM, figuring there were several other riders trying to get points as well, including Bob Roldan of Keltic who looked to me like the one who really wanted it. No one ever took up the chase though, and I jumped hard again at the 200 M sign, just edging Sarci for 3rd and 2 points. Roldan had scored 1st and second on the first two KOMs so he would have the jersey and I would be second. This battle would continue on stage 3 where the big KOM points were waiting.
Down the descent and out onto the final few miles to the fast finish we went. I thought about trying for the win, the legs were good so why not give it a go? I positioned myself in the top 5 most of the way until 1KM to go and at close to 35MPH it really started to get ragged, with a lot of guys fighting for the front. Eventually I got sandwiched hard and was left watching the sprint rather than participating. 14th. Oh well, no damage done and onto stage 2.
This was as close to a 'no-chain' day as I have had in a long time.
Stage 2
Time Trial -11 mile flat or false flat uphill.
Preview- This is not a stage I am going to win, so my goal was to not be more than 30 seconds out of 3rd. That would leave me in striking distance of the top 5 for the overall, I hoped.
Thanks to my good friend and super wrench Scott Harding, we had set up my old Specialized as a TT bike, with a low front end, aero bars and his Zipps. It looked fast. Now I needed to go fast.
Weather was better, in the 80's and sunny light tailwind on some sections a complete reversal from last years roaring headwind the whole way.
The Race- Warmed up on the trainer, it was hot and I was pouring sweat in no time. Warming up for TT's is a pain in the ass. Riding hard to nowhere and hoping it pays off. Tricky thing to do in the middle of a stage race, how much gas do you want to burn, as well as just getting it timed right in accordance to your start time.
It went well at any rate, legs seemed good, off the trainer onto the road, head to the start, check the clock, circle about a few times and then into the line for the countdown to my start.
Finally, up to the line I roll, the holder takes my bike, I clip in, take some deep breaths, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and off we go. This TT is important. Blow it and the GC hopes go out the window.
Started quickly out of the saddle, then immediately down and start counting and breathing. Counting and breathing. This is a technique that can really make or break a TT, if I can stay in control and focused, I know I can go as fast as possible. Lose the focus, the breathing gets out of control, hit the redline and you are losing time. Time trialing is an art, one I used to be really good at and I was searching for that old groove. I settled in pretty well, and was catching my 30 second man, always a good sign. Caught him and now gaining on my minute man. Fun to chase and catch people, but you have to be careful not to focus on that game because the rythym can go out the window that way. Breath, count and pedal and see what happens. I did and slowly gained on him, finally catching about 4 miles from the finish, then my 2 minute man came up but my 1:30 guy was Sarci and he was out of sight. Kicked up a slight hill and now 1KM to the finish. Full gas now and getting ragged as I am searching for any and all speed I can conjour. Finally the 200 M sign and I am blasting for all I am worth. Across the line and done. Two minutes of serious gasping and eye squinting and then roll back to the car and wait for results.
Box score-13th 1:06 down on the winner, 55 seconds out of 3rd. Not quite as good as I hoped, but still in the game.
I was satisfied with my effort. That was as fast as I could go.
Stage 3
The Queen Stage-63 mile loop RR
Preview- This is where the GC is decided. The course starts with a 3 mile climb then bolts downhill and across flat roads till about mile 26 just outside Bethel. A sharp right leads you immediately up and up. After a steep climb of a couple miles the road goes up and down until about mile 40. Then downhill and near the town of Woodstock another right and you are facing a dicey little dirt road climb of a mile or so. Out onto Rte 4 and heading back to Killington, we re-trace the TT route until you turn left and your race is decided. The next 3 miles are steep and unrelenting, then a couple ups and downs before you descend and then the final tough 1KM to the finish. A hard day no matter what.
Weather was awesome. 85 degrees and sunny, light winds.
The Race:
The big day loomed large as I packed the car and headed to the start. No place to hide today and much to ponder. Just a wicked way to finish a stage race. You either have it or you don't. On day 3, sitting at the start line, I suspect most riders were wondering which applied to them.
We hit the first climb and the action started right off, which surprised me with so far to go. Attacks and hard tempo. By halfway up we were actually shelling guys out of the field all in the first 5 miles! Hit the top and started the long downhill and flats. I surfed at the back. Ideally, if you are a climber you would not want to put your nose in the wind until the final climb. Oh, we can wish eh?
Numerous little fliers until we had 4 off the front, it looked to me like guys going for the sprint jersey points up ahead. Fine with me. All the GC guys were sitting put.
At about 1:30 into the stage we arrived at Bethel and made the right turn to the first big obstacle. This is a nasty little climb and guys started going backwards immediately. I moved into the top 15, trying to figure out what kind of legs I had on this day. Hank Pfeifle set some pretty good tempo, I made the split of 11 over the top but it was not easy and I did not come away with any particular confidence. The group motored along steady and the first KOM approached. If I wanted the jersey I needed this one. All but one rider from the lead break had been caught so first place was gone, but still enough points for second to make it worth the effort. Bob Roldan attacked a couple of times, I marked him pretty close and each time he sat up. The last 500 meters till the KOM line saw me hit the front, accelerate and stay there, holding off Bob for the 8 second place points. Now, if I was ahead of him on the final climb, and at the finish, I would win the jersey.
A group of maybe 6 chasers bridged back to us just before the dirt climb, swelling the group to 17. Pfeifle lit the dirt road up, I was wondering if I was hurting or we were hauling. We were hauling, so fast that the group split again, and now we had 6 up front, and the rest chasing. Onto the highway after a 'Bill Thompson bombed the dirt descent spectacle' and now just 18 miles to go to the finish. I felt OK at this point, actually I had not been in dire straights once all weekend, a good sign indeed.
The six of us rotated for about 10 miles then Mike Allaire and Roldan started skipping pulls. Mike looked like his train was starting to come off the tracks, and Bob was struggling as well, so it looked to me like the finale would be me, race leader Sarci, Pfeifle and Thompson for the stage win. Finally the left turn and up we go. All the marbles on the table. Hank accelerated right at the start of the climb, I could see how this was going to go. Ouch was how this was going to go. About 1/3 of the way up Hank gapped me and Thompson, then Sarci dropped Hank! As we neared the KOM, I started to feel pretty good and pulled Pfeifle back. So, with 2 miles to go, Sarci was about 30 sec ahead of Hank, Bill and I. It seemed they either couldn't or wouldn't try and get Sarci and were racing for second. Not sure we could have gotten him anyway, he was flying along pretty smooth. As we hit the final K, Hank accelerated on my left and he was motoring. He gapped me, I gapped Bill and that is the way it held to the finish. The final 200 meters was just pure out of the saddle all you had and finally, the line came and this race was over.
Finish:
1. Sarci
2. Pfeifle @31 sec
3. Sorenson @ 50 sec
4. Thompson @ 59 sec
5. Roldan @ 1:48
6. Allaire @ 4:20
This left me in 4th on the final GC and winning the KOM jersey to boot.
Sum up-
I rode about as good as I could and really that is all you can ask. I needed that 1% more to actually win, but Sarci was the best man and deserved it.
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