MDcatV
06-26-08, 08:54 AM
If you're looking for spectacular wins or epic failures - this isnt it.
The Tour of Washington County is the 1st MABRA stage race in a long time, it's a compilation of 3 familiar tracks including the Smithsburg Road Race (full of punchy climbs with an uphill finish), the Boonsboro TT, (a rolling TT course), and the Williamsport Crit, (a downtown criterium that is technical, very fast, with an uphill finish after a 120 deg. off camber turn).
I did the Cat 3 with 2 team mates.
Road Race: Plan was to watch for a few laps then go on a steep out of the saddle slog at the end of each lap. A buddy from a rival team kept attacking, but he wasnt going anywhere. His team mates were clogging up the front, so I was just taking wheels up when folks were going. I tried to counter and took a few digs, but I felt like crap every effort. Heat was zapping me terribly - was like I was riding in quicksand. At the end, since things were together, team mates were to drive it and deliver me at 100M, team mate #1 cramped up about a mile out, team mate #2 was giving me the taxi and things were looking good, at about 400M I was directing and encouraging him to keep going when he started yelling "cramping! cramping! cramping!" and pulled out of the way. I had to improvise, and ended up hitting the front at 200M - WAY too long for me, especially uphill. I ended up 8th, not bad for the legs I brought and the leadout derailing, but I was looking for way better.
TT: 20 K TT. 1st TT I've ever done in my life, my aero gear consisted of a skinsuit and shoe covers. I knew it was a futile effort with no aero stuff against a field of dudes on aero bits. I just did a LT effort going above LT uphills, and trying to gain speed downhills. I needed bigger gears in addition to aero stuff - couldnt get watts up at all on the downhill portion of it. Finished in nowhere ville, caught my 30" man, but was also passed by guy behind me who was in full TT gear. Interesting that I would pass TT guy on uphills, but he'd roll by me over the top and continuing on flats - was distracting as I was concerned with drafting penalties or whatever.
Crit: Technical and fast. I wanted the team attacking like crazy after the first few laps as a win was the only way I was getting back into the GC. Turned out team mates were cooked, and didnt have it. One got pulled about 5 laps in, other was just hanging on. I got the stupids and decided to attack anyway instead of sitting in and conserving. I was too aggressive, only time I really thought I had a good rhythm and gap OTF, there was a crash in the prior lap that the officials nearly stopped me for, so I got caught after a big energy expenditure. Tried to go and work with several other moves, all were controlled. Last lap, I got passive, pushed out of position, but was feeling OK, then I got caught behind a crash on that last corner, finished 13th for a mediocre 16th on GC.
Fun weekend, great event. Thanks for reading.
The Tour of Washington County is the 1st MABRA stage race in a long time, it's a compilation of 3 familiar tracks including the Smithsburg Road Race (full of punchy climbs with an uphill finish), the Boonsboro TT, (a rolling TT course), and the Williamsport Crit, (a downtown criterium that is technical, very fast, with an uphill finish after a 120 deg. off camber turn).
I did the Cat 3 with 2 team mates.
Road Race: Plan was to watch for a few laps then go on a steep out of the saddle slog at the end of each lap. A buddy from a rival team kept attacking, but he wasnt going anywhere. His team mates were clogging up the front, so I was just taking wheels up when folks were going. I tried to counter and took a few digs, but I felt like crap every effort. Heat was zapping me terribly - was like I was riding in quicksand. At the end, since things were together, team mates were to drive it and deliver me at 100M, team mate #1 cramped up about a mile out, team mate #2 was giving me the taxi and things were looking good, at about 400M I was directing and encouraging him to keep going when he started yelling "cramping! cramping! cramping!" and pulled out of the way. I had to improvise, and ended up hitting the front at 200M - WAY too long for me, especially uphill. I ended up 8th, not bad for the legs I brought and the leadout derailing, but I was looking for way better.
TT: 20 K TT. 1st TT I've ever done in my life, my aero gear consisted of a skinsuit and shoe covers. I knew it was a futile effort with no aero stuff against a field of dudes on aero bits. I just did a LT effort going above LT uphills, and trying to gain speed downhills. I needed bigger gears in addition to aero stuff - couldnt get watts up at all on the downhill portion of it. Finished in nowhere ville, caught my 30" man, but was also passed by guy behind me who was in full TT gear. Interesting that I would pass TT guy on uphills, but he'd roll by me over the top and continuing on flats - was distracting as I was concerned with drafting penalties or whatever.
Crit: Technical and fast. I wanted the team attacking like crazy after the first few laps as a win was the only way I was getting back into the GC. Turned out team mates were cooked, and didnt have it. One got pulled about 5 laps in, other was just hanging on. I got the stupids and decided to attack anyway instead of sitting in and conserving. I was too aggressive, only time I really thought I had a good rhythm and gap OTF, there was a crash in the prior lap that the officials nearly stopped me for, so I got caught after a big energy expenditure. Tried to go and work with several other moves, all were controlled. Last lap, I got passive, pushed out of position, but was feeling OK, then I got caught behind a crash on that last corner, finished 13th for a mediocre 16th on GC.
Fun weekend, great event. Thanks for reading.