zimbo

I raced with the old, slow guys today (Masters 4/5). Not a bad field size--maybe 30-40 riders--but probably one of the bigger fields at the event due to the sheer number of fields offered.

This event is extremely well organized but the RR is not a course that sets up well for me... it's basically a sprinter's paradise with only a few rollers and a long straight shot to the finish line. Nobody was going to get away today and I didn't even bother to try. I just sat in the middle of the field and hung out. The average speed was almost 24 mph but it felt like a recovery ride. Seriously, my average power for the all but the last 3 minutes of the race was 172 watts.

With a little over a mile to go, we were coming up the last roller on the course getting ready for a subtle, steady downhill that flattens out before the finish. I got up out of the saddle for only the second time all race and moved up to the front. When I got there, I coasted a bit since we still had over half a mile to go and I didn't want to be the hapless leadout guy for the sprinters. A couple of guys moved in front of me and started getting squirrelly so I thought "screw that, man" and went around them.

I decided what the hell and dialed it up to 550 watts. About 26 mph. LOL. Anyway, there were immediately a couple of guys lined up behind me fighting for my wheel so I knew it was not looking good for me but I just powered toward the line and held the wattage as high as I could for that last 60 agonizing seconds.

Turns out the bastards couldn't quite make it around me and I took the win by about half a wheel. This is the second time I've gotten lucky like this... Absolutely no work for the entire race, a 2.5 minute effort at 450 watts, and a big neener neener to the sprinters who had been licking their chops with glee.

Sometimes the mouse gets away, I guess.

--Steve

Lithuania

i dont think its as much luck as its your just strong.

awesome. Do you get upgrade points for a master 4/5 race?

Snuffleupagus

Again, Steve - great job!

My race:
Felt great the whole time, didn't do any work, planning on fighting it out in the sprint. At 300 meters left to go, I'm 3rd wheel - and I KNOW I can out sprint the guys I'm marking.

Wouldn't ya know it though - As I give a good solid crank in 53x11, my chain drops off the side of my chain ring, wrecking a Dura Ace derailleur and 10s chain. Oh yeah, and putting me DFL in the main pack as I coasted with my feet unclipped and arm up in the air marking myself as a hazard.

The bike racing, she is a cruel mistress.

The upside is, my form is ridiculous right now. I was easily one of the stronger guys in the field today. Hoping for good things in the crit.

Lithuania

that sucks snuff but at least you are looking strong.

how does a chain come off like that? frame flex?

Snuffleupagus

The FD was slightly out of tune, so as I jumped on my 53x11 (it was a downhill sprint...I'm not Cippo ) the flex in the cranks/frame probably caused the chain to contact the FD, thus pushing the chain over the outside.

There was much profanity

Enthalpic

Good job. While reading the beginning I was thinking, " if he knows he can't win the sprint, and has a huge FTP, why doesn't he animate the race a little" then upon further reading I found out why...

Impressive.

Enthalpic

"The body is evil and must be punished"

You managed to not get sick or injured during that crash week which, upon rest, will make you an animal.

Snuffleupagus

Yes, I think I'm reaping the benefits of the 18 hours of pain a few weeks ago. Enough so that I'm going to do another one soon. This time...20?

zimbo

That sucks, man. Sounds like you would have had a very good look at a win were it not for that.

BTW, what were you doing before the race? I saw you leave the staging area. Also, were any of my teammates in the mix there at the end?

--Steve

zimbo

Unfortunately, my "huge FTP" (??) isn't enough to get into a lasting breakaway and it's certainly not enough to stay away for long periods of time by myself. In fact, the road races where I've done the worst are the ones where I've tried to animate the race and I end up not being strong enough to encite a lasting breakaway, nor strong enough to recover at the end to compete against the sprinter-types.

--Steve

Snuffleupagus

Oh yeah, AND at the beginning of the race my rear 'race' wheel decided it was going to flat. So I had to hustle back to my car to throw on my Power Tap wheel. But, I didn't have time to reset the computer to read power before the race was off. So not only was I running my heavy and non-aero wheel in an "A" race - but I didn't get any data from it

I saw your team mates in the field, but don't recall if any of them pulled anything off in the sprint. I was too busy being mad at the world

Enthalpic

Well I said I found out why. You're just smarter than me at this.

zimbo

I doubt that very much.

My training emotions have been pretty up-and-down lately with my last two races not going very well at all, so this win is a big boost to my ongoing effort to stay motivated, the little bit of dumb luck notwithstanding. That said, I am still looking forward to getting in a lasting breakaway in some future race.

--Steve

Lithuania

When you have tried to animate the race were you keeping an eye on your power or anything? Im just curious if they didnt stick because you werent strong enough or because you werent patient enough. I cant remember the details of your past reports to remember what happened when you tried.

zimbo

Could be a combination of the two, or it may be that I just don't know the art to inciting a break. In the last race where I tried to mix things up, I went hard up a hill but nobody came with me. I got a pretty good distance on the field and after letting me dangle a while they reeled me in. I was hoping someone would jump to try to bridge to me but it didn't happen.

I seriously doubt I could average higher than 24 mph for 1.5 hours on a road bike on today's course and, even if I could, I'm sure there were plenty of other people in the field who as a collective group could have handled the 25 mph or 26 mph necessary in order to pull me back.

--Steve

Lithuania

1.5 hours is long but what about 20 minutes?

zimbo

Yeah, maybe. But again, it seems like I would need to be WAAYY stronger than the rest of the field to stay away for the last 20 minutes of the race.

--Steve

Enthalpic

Too much negative self-talk.

Maybe try bottos chit chat attack or solo away with 8-20min to go?

https://myshavedlegs.blogspot.com/200...king-walk.html

Teammates?

Lithuania

i hear you. im not criticizing or anything just trying to figure out how to do it myself.

zimbo

Yeah, I'm with ya on that.

--Steve

zimbo

Looks like the finish was even closer than I thought:



--Steve