Another Ugly T-shirt

The Patterson Pass road race started out fast from the start thanks to a tall (6' 4") rider from San Jose Bike Club, who went to the front and pulled us up 3/4 of the first climb into the wind. The entire field was strung out single file as we climbed due to a wicked head wind. Being one one side or another of the riders wheel directly in front made a noticeable difference, it was that windy.



Following the descent, "the giant" as he would become known to our pelaton, went to the front on the rollers and proceeded to split the field in 1/2. I almost missed this break, wow ! Did expect that. I made sure to be attentive to any moves he made following that. At the start of the 2nd lap the lead group was down to 20. No one seemed willing to try anything into the head wind so I was able to stay tucked, and had a relatively easy time of it on the long climb.

I figured the attacks would come at the 2nd climb. They came sooner but I was ready, two riders got off the front and I let other riders take up the pace and we held them steady at 50 meters until the start of the 2nd climb. About 3/4 the way up the 2nd climb I went to the front to try to close on the leaders. I didn't quite make it up to them but did drag 3 riders up. They came by and I gave it everything to stay on their wheels as we closed to the leaders.

We now had a lead group of six with a break on the field. At this point we started working together, executing a fairly seemless rotating paceline. We kept this up through most of the 2nd lap, I was thinking about the last little riser before the finish and starting to get a bit worried. Sure enough once we hit the riser my legs lit up and I started falling off, ugh.

I rolled across about 30 seconds off the lead group missing the sprint for the finish,probably would not have made any difference but you never know.

My take home for 6th was another ugly T-shirt.

Bike Against The Odds

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NOT the District Championships

This road race was NOT the District Championships for the masters racers. I'm not sure why that fact is important but its clearly called out.

This course consisted of a 10+ mile loop with one significant climb per lap. The first 3 laps were fairly uneventful with the exception of an inexplicable crash by a single rider which caused my teammate to swerve into a rut and subsequently flat. The crashed rider ended up catching back on, great ! You can certainly be unlucky in a road race.

On the 3rd laps climb one ultra-skinny WebCor rider attacked, I hung on him for a bit but when I realized no one else was giving chase I backed off, not feeling confident that two of us could hold off the field for an entire lap. At the top of this climb there was talk of working to chase him down. I suggested that we let him stew for a bit up front in the wind alone (he seems awfully fast on that climb). I wasn't going to work to bring him back at this point so I settled into the pack.

About 1/2 through the last (4th) lap and riding a steady pace we had not pulled in the leader. Well good for him, but I'm still not going to chase unless there were several riders willing to work. One San Jose BC rider starts jawing around that we should chase, I say I'll work if you bring a few of you teammates up to help (they had 5 riders in the race, jessh).

At the bottom of the last climb my strategy was not to lead but stay 2nd wheel. The pace picks up and about 1/2 up there are 5 of us left. I'm straining to keep up at this point but there is not much climb left, just before the top I loose touch, not good. At the top I'm about 25 meters back, doesn't seem like much but we are riding into a head wind, I go full out but I'm not making any headway! I look up the road to see the group pass the WebCor rider, than I pass him, he is toast. The lead group of 4 are working together to stay away, damn !

Nothing to do but ease up and wait for the chase group. 3 riders come by and I latch on. I stay on the back trying to recover, at the 1k to go sign there's an uphill so I try an attack. I get a small break but i soon realize that 1k is a long way ! I ease up and they are back on me. Another rider in the group goes by and again I'm on the back, good place to be for the sprint.

On the sprint I go a little late pass 2 but run out of road to pass the last rider. I'm ok with the 6th place i got but I really wanted to stay in the lead group and sprint for the win.