Pedalling Squares

Sea Otter Circuit Race, April 17, 2004

Description:
This is on the actual Laguna Seca Raceway. It's a 2.25 (I think) mile circuit with a steady and somewhat steep 300 foot climb, bomb down through the corkscrew then through a few turns, a hairpin and then the finish.

How It Went Down:
We started off with a crash about 10 feet from the S/F line. Rob and I had to maneuver around, but did so without much difficulty. My plan was to see if I could make something happen or get into a break early on and then to help Kevin or Rob if it stayed together.

I think on the 4th lap 5 guys accelerated a little at the top of the climb, so I jumped up to them for the descent. We had a great little gap open, but the guys were playing possum and sat up. Pussies! The group closed in on us and that was that. Oh well.

On the 5th or 6th lap, 2 guys got away after the descent somewhere in the flat section. I wasn't too worried, but stayed vigilant. Coming through the start finish I was near the front and feeling pretty good. One of the breakaway's teammates tried to put me in the barriers - said he was trying to protect his teammates' lead. Rookie! So I went around him and bridged up on the hill just to see what would happen. A few other people bridged up, we bombed down the descent and the same thing happened. They were all wussing out, afraid to take a pull in the wind.

So I chilled out. Kevin rolled up to tell me Rob wasn't with the main group anymore. Oh well. Rob had said he was feeling a little sick all week, so I wasn't too surprised. We strategized for the last lap. I told Kevin I would try to tow him around for the last lap to keep him ready for the sprint. We quickly moved to the front on the climb. Kevin was out in the wind killing himself to stay in the front (there was a stiff wind at the top). I told him to get on my wheel, but he was struggling. There was a little gap opening up and I yelled to Kevin to stay with it over the top. He finally told me to go on without him.

So again, we had a decent gap after the descent and I'm screaming at guys to work, but they weren't into it. Saving themselves for the sprint. Oh well. So I tried to hold my position, waiting for the countless attacks that would come in the last 1K. We came around the hairpin and I was still in the top 20. A big Solano guy by me and I thought I try to stay with him - he was a good draft. I tried to wait until the last minute and just keep following wheels. At 100m I ran out of wheels and started my lame sprint. I passed a few guys and held on for 10th.

In my opinion, that race is too short. We only did 8 laps and that's just not enough to make anything happen. Oh well. Maybe next time.

Sea Otter RR, April 15, 2004

Description:
I think Vaughn already covered it, so read his description. Basically, it's a tough course, with no flat. And the finale boasts a long steep climb before a rockstar finish on the Laguna Seca track.

How It Went Down:
When the 3 Spine guys lined up, I knew that meant trouble. Those guys are strong. Plus there were also 3 Labor Powers - another strong team, although I don't know much about them. Hopefully it would stay together with those guys marking one another.

The first 2 laps went by without much happening. At the end of the second lap before the descent to the Wall, Spine started animating things. I made one effort and brought it back together, but wasn't going to waste too much juice - we still had 4 more trips up the Wall plus the uphill finish. So with a Spine guy or two up the road, a LaborPower guy launched a vicious attack from the back. There was a collective groan in the group - there went the race. We kept them in sight on the descent and the 3rd trip up the Wall. At the top, there was a Spine guy sitting on, so I tried to set the tempo for awhile. I kept encouraging others to come through, but no one felt like it. I got a little help for a short time, but we were losing the race right then and there. Those guys were just too strong.

We got word from the moto that there were 7 guys up the road nearly 2 minutes. Ouch - so now we're racing for 8th place?!?!? At this point I decided to be watchful at the front, but not to do too much work. We probably weren't going to catch all of those guys but some would probably get spit out the back. So maybe it wouldn't be an 8th place after all.

We got more occasional updates from the moto - I think it had split into a lead group of 3, and trailing group of 4. The lead group of 3 had 4 minutes on us, the other group just over a minute. I didn't look back exactly, but we must have had around 20 in our group as we started the fourth lap. When we got to the top of the Wall, I looked back - 7 guys! It was like they all turned around and went home. Ugh. This is good and bad - good because now I had a better chance of cracking the top 5, but bad because it makes for a nervous group.

I think somewhere on the 5th lap we caught a few of the breakaways and were hearing that there was a lead group of 3 way up (4 minutes at least) and a group of 2 now. Cool! The guys we caught were clearly cooked and probably not up for 2 more hard laps. There was one big guy in our group (couldn't identify the team) that drove the tempo most of the way. He was willing so we let him. I thought that the chances were good that we would catch the break immediately in front of us on the climb, or not at all. So I was happy to save my legs let it get sorted out there.

We went hard up the Wall for the last time, but I still felt pretty good. At this point, it seemed we were happy to ride tempo until the climb. The same guy was driving the tempo - I would say he pulled for 2/3 of the last lap. Fine by me. I took a few token pulls, but we weren't really in a hurry at this point. This was just a war of attrition coming into the final battle - the long climb back to the racetrack. As we turned up the climb, we still had 1 lone breakaway a minute or two up and 3 way up (4 minutes +).

So now we were down to 6 guys in the break. I'm not sure where the other 2 or 3 fell off. There was a LaborPower, Spine, a small climber guy with a thick accent, a tall skinny guy, and the big guy that pulled a lot. The climb starts out flat and then gets steeper and steeper near the top. But, it's a long climb (remember this for later) relatively. The Labor Power guy wound it up once, but we were on that way too fast. A little later the small climber guy launched a good effort and the tall skinny guy went with him. I let them go and just rode tempo - it's a long climb. For awhile I was doing the pulling, but wasn't too worried - I think we had a slight tailwind so it's not like I was really doing any favors. Somewhere in here the LaborPower guy popped. Then the big guy that pulled alot attacked and Spiney went with him. I let them go - it's a long climb. I kept my tempo going and the three groups came together at the top. We went down the little descent together and onto the track.

At this point I was in perfect position - 3rd wheel behind the Spine guy, who clearly knew what he was doing. We came around the hairpin - 2 turns to go and then the 200meter mark. At 300 to go Spine attacked from the front, I licked my chops and went after him. I'm not sure what gear I was in, but it didn't feel right - I wasn't catching him. Even though I thought he went too early, he was going really strong. I was in second, but not on his wheel. I felt two others coming up beside me, but I dug it out and managed second behind the Spine guy for 6th (I think) overall.

Not too bad considered the field was pretty strong. Kind of a bummer to just have to sit and watch the Spine and Labor guys go to town on us. Not a lot I could have done - unless of course I was stronger.

Avg Speed: 20.9 mpg
Avg HR: 166 bpm