Author
Luke Seemann on Jun 27, 2010
Race name: Proctor Cycling Classic Race date: Sunday, Jun 27, 2010
First, a stolen-bike update. On Saturday I took the first steps toward a replacement by getting a fit at Get a Grip. It was a great experience. I think Michael diagnosed some hidden foot issues that had been vexing me, and he made some adjustments to my cleats and B-bike that immediately made me feel faster and more powerful. I was eager to put it into action at the state championships in Peoria.
30+
I knew there would be a break or at least a selection in this field, but I knew everyone else knew that, too, so I tried to be patient early on and wait for the pressure to build before trying anything myself.
About 15 minutes in we'd been racing hard and were strung out when the field slowed on the backstretch after making a catch. I let my momentum carry me down the side and off the front. This was a good place to go: If you can power through the headwind and up the kicker between Turns 7 and 8, you're rewarded with a slight downhill and tailwind down the homestretch, and a small gap can quickly become a large gap. Hammer down the headwind one more time, and a large gap can become an unbeatable gap.
I was alone when I passed the start/finish for the first time. A prime was announced. OK, just stay off for a lap and I'll at least get a prime.
I managed that, and I still had a gap of about 10 seconds. It would grow to about 20 over the next four laps, but 30 minutes would be a long time to stay off solo. What kind of fool would try that?
I kept plugging away, though, and was happy to see former Olympian Tom Doughty bridge up. Unfortunately, I think his escape animated the field, and after one short lap, half of the field caught us. I managed to latch on, but this was a fast-moving group and my time solo had taken a lot out of me. I was dropped a half a lap later.
At least now I knew how long I can stay off solo in a masters open race: About 15 minutes. Next time I'll just have to make it the last 15, not the middle 15.
And that prime? Turns out it was awarded to the field. Rats!
P/1/2
We had a great squad lining up here: Myself, Randy, Ed, Liam, Tom Briney and Dave Moyer. Several guys who could stay away in a break, several guys who could win out of a bunch sprint, and one or two who could do both. We had the bases covered, and we were all in good spirits to be racing together.
Liam set the table for this race by making several attacks in the opening laps. This put the field under pressure, which is what we wanted.
When he wasn't off the front, the rest of us were active in covering attacks, chasing and taking digs of our own.
I love this course because the wide tarmac makes it easy to navigate the pack. I could spend some time policing the front, go to the back to recover, then move back up once I was feeling fresh.
About 20 minutes in, Dave was off the front and I was about 10th wheel. Coming down the backstretch, I saw breakaway artist Scott Pearson attacking on the left side. I had the good fortune of being on Tomasz Boba's wheel on the right, and as I saw him get out of the saddle I wound up to go with him.
He put in a huge effort, and holding his wheel was like holding on to a rocket with a butterfly net. But he successfully made it up to Scott, and soon we'd made it up to Dave.
Even though I had had a free ride, the effort cooked me good. My initial intention, then, was to put in a few stout pulls to give this group a few extra seconds toward its establishment and then float back to the pack, if not through it and off the back.
A lap later, I was still clawing to stay on when another few riders made it up to us. We were now 10, and Dave and I were the only riders with teammates. Just as important, there were no slouches here. Among them were Bryan from ReCycling, Cory from South Chicago Wheelmen and Hogan from Verizon. Basically, the heads of state -- plus me.
And I was struggling. I was in the drops and really concentrating just to hold a wheel. Dave and Bryan in particular put in some punishing pulls. Once the break was safely set, I allowed myself to skip the occasional pull to help my chances of staying on. The first rule of Break Club, after all, is Do Not Get Dropped. I didn't want Dave to lose the advantage of having a teammate, and I did not want to dishonor the hard work I knew was being done in the field.
About 20 minutes later we were hearing that we had more than a minute. Now it was time to think about an endgame.
How could I be useful to Dave? I could try to lead him out, but that's not something we've been able to practice much. I could also try some attacks to open the door for a counter, but I didn't have many matches left. I was also trying to think how we could split the field -- if I could get Dave ahead of me and the sprinters like Tomasz behind me, maybe I could open a gap and catch them napping.
While I was musing on these options, Dave took things into his own hands by escaping on the back stretch. He can give you a better description of how it went down, but to my eyes it didn't resemble an attack that much, which is why it may have worked so well. He just pedaled harder, got a few meters of gap, then 20 meters, then 50 meters. The timing was exquisite.
There was still 25 minutes left to race, and his move put the rest of the break in disbelief. A lap later, ennui had already set in. When someone asked, "Are we really going to let that go?" I knew that we were now racing for second race. I may or may not have ground my palms together and let out a Montgomery Burns-like "Exxxcellent."
With Dave safely 20 seconds down the road, I settled in as last wheel. It was still hard, but manageable, and it was a relief to see Dave get farther and farther away.
And it was with extraordinary relief that I saw the laps fall to below five. I needed to be done.
As dead as I was, I was still hopeful I had enough in the tank to pull out a good finish for myself. Scott Pearson is someone I admire and I knew he would try to escape. I was hopeful I could go with him and get at least one of us on the podium. With three to go, hostilities in the break commenced, and I started racing again.
On one effort off the front, however, I cramped up real good. I'm sometimes cheeky and fake cramps, but this one was for real, probably because I'd been out of water and food for 15 minutes. I pounded my thigh like I'd seen a cramped rider in the break do at Ghent-Wevelgem. This didn't do much other than give myself a Charlie horse.
The remaining nine of us stayed together for the sprint. I had good position, but I was cooked. Coming around the final turn I knew I could get it up no longer. But that was fine: I was thrilled with 10th, I was more than thrilled to have Dave in 1st, and as I coasted in I could now give an encore post-up for the team.
Now, a few moments of sentiment. Indulge me, friends.
When you are on the rivet, visions come, not unlike the visions and hallucinations that might visit a person lost in the desert. (Now that I think of it, "Vision Quest" would make a good name for a coaching service.)
And it was with my nose on my stem in the break that a certain vision came to me, a vision of: This is Bicycle Racing. This moment, hitting boundaries and going beyond them, this teamwork, these big stakes, this heat, this drama -- this was captured lightning, and I felt the previous six years of my life -- the training, the expenses, the tragedies, the triumphs -- had led to this. This was it. The essence of bicycle racing had distilled itself into this break. As much as I wanted the race to be over, I didn't want to let this moment go.
It was not just on a personal level. Five years ago, our team barely had any 3's riders. Now in addition to thriving 3's and 4's squads, we were in the elite state championships and in addition to Randy we had five other Cat 1's and 2's, and all of them were homegrown. No mercenaries. No free agents. Just good friends who'd all grown as riders together, each of whom would without a second thought turn themselves inside out for another.
This bicycle racing, it's pretty cool. This team, also pretty cool. I'm so happy all of you are here to enjoy it with me.