Posted by Paul on Monday, April 07, 2003 at 9:53 AM
Ward's Ferry RR
The Course
Distance: 60 miles (5 12-mile laps)
Category: Senior 3
Terrain: Rolling
Conditions: Chilly at the start, but sunny
Field: 30
Description: This course has no flat parts. It's all up and down. Crucial to have the front derailleur dialed in.
The course has a neutralized start of about 2 miles to the loop. Then after passing the feedzone on the right side, you start with a downhill, a climb of about 1 mile, then more descending, then rollers. Then you make a sharp right hand turn to my favorite part of the course. It's a steady descent, not too fast, on narrow roads. The field was small, the descent is not very technical, so it was pretty safe. And restful!!! Then more up and down up and down, up and down. You make a right turn (more up and down) and then another right turn (up and down) and now you're approaching the finish. I think there were 3 steep little climbs near the 1K marker. One was before then 1 right at the 1K marker and then the finish is a steep little bastard. After that, it eases up, then you turn up to the feedzone - another short steep climb, then another right turn and you start it all over again.
How It Unfolded
I didn't sleep so well the night before. I had some stomach issues that I still haven't figured out. I felt rested when I left at 4:45 in the am, but my stomach was unsettled. The start was chilly and I did my usual shivering as we rolled out. I sat at the back so as not to take anyone out as I tried to steer the bike and keep warm.
I warmed up pretty quickly and was soon feeling fine. The first few laps were uneventful - except that two guys took off about 1/2 way through the first lap. I didn't feel THAT strong, but I was feeling ok. On the second lap on the descent I lost a water bottle after hitting something in the road. Felt like an unmarked speed bump, though. Oh well no biggie - there was neutral support in the feed zone.
I was doing well on the climbs and able to move to the front pretty easily. On the end of the second lap I got another water bottle so I would be pretty much set for feeds. Somewhere on the 3rd lap I think it was, one of the two breakaways came back. Supposedly the other was riding strongly - 3+minutes up the road. Damn!!!
On the beginning of the fourth lap things started to go badly. First, I hit the same speed bump as the second lap, but this time it took a few minutes for my testicles to find their way out of my throat and back down to normality. Damn that hurt. Then I started to notice my stomach was bothering me again. I don't usually get stomach cramps while riding, but this time I did. They hurt but I suffered through them on the first long climb ok. I struggled off the back, then caught back on after the next series of rollers. I was hoping things would get better on the descent - they didn't. I kept struggling. I made it to the final turn towards the finish, but gave up shortly thereafter (after the 4th of 5 laps).
What a bummer, it was a great course for me. I limped in to the finish and watched the end of the race. The winner was a solo breakaway - around 3 minutes up on everyone. Then Pat Dunaway (Healthnet) outsprinted/outclimbed a Robinson Guy for second and third place. It was a long trip home . . .
The Course
Distance: 60 miles (5 12-mile laps)
Category: Senior 3
Terrain: Rolling
Conditions: Chilly at the start, but sunny
Field: 30
Description: This course has no flat parts. It's all up and down. Crucial to have the front derailleur dialed in.
The course has a neutralized start of about 2 miles to the loop. Then after passing the feedzone on the right side, you start with a downhill, a climb of about 1 mile, then more descending, then rollers. Then you make a sharp right hand turn to my favorite part of the course. It's a steady descent, not too fast, on narrow roads. The field was small, the descent is not very technical, so it was pretty safe. And restful!!! Then more up and down up and down, up and down. You make a right turn (more up and down) and then another right turn (up and down) and now you're approaching the finish. I think there were 3 steep little climbs near the 1K marker. One was before then 1 right at the 1K marker and then the finish is a steep little bastard. After that, it eases up, then you turn up to the feedzone - another short steep climb, then another right turn and you start it all over again.
How It Unfolded
I didn't sleep so well the night before. I had some stomach issues that I still haven't figured out. I felt rested when I left at 4:45 in the am, but my stomach was unsettled. The start was chilly and I did my usual shivering as we rolled out. I sat at the back so as not to take anyone out as I tried to steer the bike and keep warm.
I warmed up pretty quickly and was soon feeling fine. The first few laps were uneventful - except that two guys took off about 1/2 way through the first lap. I didn't feel THAT strong, but I was feeling ok. On the second lap on the descent I lost a water bottle after hitting something in the road. Felt like an unmarked speed bump, though. Oh well no biggie - there was neutral support in the feed zone.
I was doing well on the climbs and able to move to the front pretty easily. On the end of the second lap I got another water bottle so I would be pretty much set for feeds. Somewhere on the 3rd lap I think it was, one of the two breakaways came back. Supposedly the other was riding strongly - 3+minutes up the road. Damn!!!
On the beginning of the fourth lap things started to go badly. First, I hit the same speed bump as the second lap, but this time it took a few minutes for my testicles to find their way out of my throat and back down to normality. Damn that hurt. Then I started to notice my stomach was bothering me again. I don't usually get stomach cramps while riding, but this time I did. They hurt but I suffered through them on the first long climb ok. I struggled off the back, then caught back on after the next series of rollers. I was hoping things would get better on the descent - they didn't. I kept struggling. I made it to the final turn towards the finish, but gave up shortly thereafter (after the 4th of 5 laps).
What a bummer, it was a great course for me. I limped in to the finish and watched the end of the race. The winner was a solo breakaway - around 3 minutes up on everyone. Then Pat Dunaway (Healthnet) outsprinted/outclimbed a Robinson Guy for second and third place. It was a long trip home . . .
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