Originally Posted by
MarkSch
Purgatory Rd. Race Cat 4
3rd race this year, 2nd race in the 4s...this is essentially right by my house, I ride the course regularly, so figured I had a leg up....Plan was to cruise the two steep hills, and ride the false flats hard to try and get a gap. More a diesel than a sports car....didn't quite go as planned.
Hit a bump and punted a water bottle on the first lap....not happy about that. (mistake 1) Pack of 100 first time up the hill, and I wasn't near the front..(mistake 2). Passed a bunch of people up the hill, but a gap to the front group still. Worked with a few others to catch back on by the bottom of the big descent. Pace was good up the false flat section on the next lap, gapped again on the steep hill, caught back on again.
Pace a bit slower the third time up the false flat climb (perhaps should have made a break....missed chance), gapped again, caught back on again, but a bit quicker this time. OK position coming into the false flat climb, and two guys off the front, started moving up the inside, but door closed and then had a tough time finding a hole....(another mistake, need to work on positioning for spots on the course where I'd like to go)...tailed off again on the steep finishing climb...probably about 30 / 100...back of the lead group....
Next up is Hilltowns for me, then Tokeneke...feeling the longer steadier climbs might be more my thing than the short punchy climbs, but realize that I am still about 15 lbs heavier than I was in my prime 20 years ago....getting old is a *****.
I did purgatory 4s as well. What kind of kit were you in? I was the little kid in the red/orange Expo Wheelmen kit.
Course was 4 laps around a 10 mi loop. Rolling terrain except for the last climb which was a steep stair steep climb. Sketchy descent to start things off, but thankfully after the first lap, we shed about half the field and after that the narrow twisty roads were fine.
Like Mark, I got gapped on the first lab. Caught back on right at the bottom of the next climb, but I managed to stay with the group. After that I stayed with the group for the rest of the race. I had more success climbing the hill at my own pace as everyone hammered the bottom and then came back on the last kick. I just sat in the saddle and spun and my pace and crested the hill with the group. I, like Mark, finished at the tail end of the shattered lead group (I was up front coming into the last climb). I passed a Cl Noonan kid going up the climb and I knew he was sitting on my wheel going into the finish. I jumped too early and he got around me.
I felt good, finished with the group and had fun. For me, that's a victory.
This was probably one of my favorite races so far. Great course, well marshaled and it was run well. Props to Greenline Velo for putting on such a great race.