Road Bike Racing - My first race ever.

The race organizer for Hillsboro-Roubaix said this of the race, and I quote: “This is a technical course. There are lots of narrow twisting roads, some potholes, blind corners, and you must race with the yellow line rule foremost in your mind. You'll have a pace car etc but if you descend a twisting downhill on the wrong side of the road in a blind corner, and a pickup truck is coming up the road, somebody must take the ditch.”

The man wasn’t lying.

Let’s start from the beginning.

12 XxXers lined up for the Cat 5 “flight 2” race. Everyone in high spirits, joking, laughing, having a good time…like we always do. There’s a chill in the air which has a couple of people shivering, but I’m feeling alright. Not warmed up, but alright.

The whistle sounds and off we go. The pack is tight and everyone is riding respectfully until about 1 mile in when some jerk goes to take the wheel infront of me which is clearly taken. He almost pushes me into the ditch before I ease off and he steals my wheel. It was either crash or back off. I opted to finish the race.

About 5 miles in we hit the first of what became my nemesis: the hills. HILLSboro had hills. Lots of little ones and 2 pretty big ones. These are what got to me more than anything else, and at this first hill I was promptly spit out the back of the pack. For another 2-3 miles I rode within 40 meters of them but nothing I could do would bring me back, so I gave in to the winds and the hills.

Thankfully two teammates, Jeff and Ben also felt the pressure and were dropped at the same time. We rode together for a while when on a twisting descent Jeff hit the gravel and was forced to dismount. Ben wasn’t so lucky. While trying to avoid Jeff’s wheel he did a header over his bars and into the ditch. Jeff caught up to me rather quickly and we worked together for half of the 1st lap, but on the 1st of two big climbs him and a short train of mismatched riders dropped me. Ben wasn’t so lucky. He kept riding but I wouldn’t see him until the middle of the 2nd lap. When he caught me.

For the 2nd half of lap two I found a friend. I don’t know his name, but he was an unattached rider wearing a USA jersey. Him and I drafted off each other and pushed each other through the last windy straights and last 2 big climbs. As we rounded the last corner I asked “you wanna sprint for it?” and of course he said yes. At the 200m mark we both accelerated and I got out of the saddle, whipping my bike around and gaining on him. I finished about 15 meters ahead of him and he exclaimed “YOU SAID YOU HAD NOTHING LEFT!” to which I answered “I didn’t know I had anything left!”

I guess that means I should push harder next time.

For your "first race ever," you seem pretty well informed regarding riding protocol. I just got my 5th race done, and you seem to know the procedures much better than I did at my first race. I appreciate your description of the starting line jovialness. I ran track in college and high school, and the starting lines were always so tense. I appreciate the conversations that occur in bike racing (at least in the cat 5's). Good luck in your next race!

For your "first race ever," you seem pretty well informed regarding riding protocol. I just got my 5th race done, and you seem to know the procedures much better than I did at my first race. I appreciate your description of the starting line jovialness. I ran track in college and high school, and the starting lines were always so tense. I appreciate the conversations that occur in bike racing (at least in the cat 5's). Good luck in your next race!

I have GREAT teammates who appreciate the work you put in for the team regardless of what placing you get. We meet every few weeks for some beers so we can discuss the pro tour and also race tactics/season plans/etc. I couldn't ask for anything better, really. They've prepared me for racing and taught me a lot in the pre-season, so I wasn't at all nervous at the start line. Also, one of my teammates got 2nd place and another got 8th..not too shabby.

Here is some more stuff I thought about after the race:

- Thinking back..I should have bumped elbows with the guy who almost ran me into the ditch. Beginners mistake I suppose.

- I felt like I recovered nicely. On Saturday evening my knees, calves, and achilles tendons were a bit sore, but on Sunday morning I felt like a million bucks!

- I also think I needed to do a much better warm up. I didn't even use my trainer, which I should have.

- Towards the end of the race my legs literally felt like there was nothing in them...I felt completely drained. I think the only thing that made me sprint was adrenaline and knowledge that soon the pain would be over.

- I am going through race buildup withdrawl.

great race report. good to hear you didn't lay in down in the ditch too.

I'll also reiterate that this is one of the tougher spring road races in the midwest. Long, technical, windy, and hilly. It beat the crap out of me and I wanted more.

What was the pace like?

Congrats on your first race. I'm glad I learned the art of elbow rubbing without causing an accident, as it allows you to keep the wheel you're sucking. But if you don't know it, giving up the wheel was smart. Just remember as you learn, most riders are as afraid of going down as you, so if you make them think you're not afraid, they won't try and scare you. Although I learned and practiced the elboe rub on the velodrome, only once did I actually have to use it off the track (the guy was riding sideways right into me because the @$$hole in front of him was breaking away by swerving). Aside from that, I just make my shoulder 1/2" away from his and he gets spooked and gives me the wheel. Dog eat dog world out there in a pack.

What was the pace like?

My pace or THE pace? I was only with the pack for about 5 miles, and the pace was pretty relaxed..I'd say 22-23mph, but a couple of riders at the front started whipping it up and, as you read, I was dropped on a climb.

MY pace, well...I don't know. I didn't want to know. I had my cyclocomputer off because I didn't want to rate my race based on speed, but on effort. My effort was good.