Hueston Woods (Ohio Spring Race Series)

The day got off to a bad start when I realized I had packed everything besides my jersey. I was in the middle of pinning my number onto my skin when Joe rides up with a XL jersey from another team. A few extra safety pins and it worked good enough. The race was much faster this week, and the field stayed much more together. On the final climb I hid behind a freight train of a rider until the very last second to squeak out a win. Again, thanks to everyone's advice I was able to have another good race.

First race of the season so I was hopeful that all of the miserable miles that I rode with Blair, Joe Will, and Steve every weekend during Jan-Feb would have some value.

Forty+ riders started the race. For the first 3 laps I got boxed in the back of the field so the focus was to avoid lots of jittery riders and the continual fluctuations in the pace. My attempts to move to the front on each climb were futile as the pace would drop and nobody seemed interested in pushing the hills. On each climb my rear derailleur had issues and the chain kept jumping on a few of the cogs, not a big factor since the pace was slow, but hold that thought for later in the report. Finally as we passed the start line after the 3rd lap a gap opened up on the right side and I was able to move up into the front of the pace line and stay there.

On lap 4 the pace increased quite a bit and the main group thinned out to under 30 riders. I was feeling great and kept myself in a good position within the top 5-10 places, a few single attacks occurred but they were easily brought back in by the group.

I was hoping that the pace would stay up for the final lap but as we passed by the finish line, the cat and mouse games began and the paced slowed. As we passed the marina parking lot ready for the last time up the big climb I was sitting in the top ten. My goal was to ride the steep section aggressively and not let anyone get away. That plan worked to perfection as I gradually moved thru the field and as the climb began to level I was sitting in second position feeling good!

I sat on the wheel in front of my and debated about making a move, but decided with 3 miles still to go I would sit tight and see what happens. After about 200 meters the wheel I was following pulled to the side and I took over. Once again I thought about making a move, but did not. I did my share of pulling for a few hundred yards and when I pulled over to let someone else take over.....surprise!! Nobody was interested in pulling thru!! So I stayed there and slowed the pace a little.

With a little more than a mile to go, we hit a big downhill stretch and everyone took off. I jumped in the mix and was still in a good position. As we hit the next little climb I came out of the saddle to accelerate and remember my remember my rear derailleur issue from early in this fabulous story? Well, it jumped a couple of more times and this time it cost me some serious momentum as I was attempting to accelerate. I found the right gear combo and began drilling it for the final 300 meter uphill sprint to the finish. I passed several riders on the final climb, but lost too much ground with the shifting hiccup. That may have cost me a realistic shot of being in the top 10.

Later that evening I watched Cancellara launch his attack in Paris/Roubaix and solo to victory over the final 70km. It made me kick myself for not mashing the pedals at the top of the final climb to see what I could have done to stretch out the field. No guts no glory!! I guess thats why Fabian is winning in Europe and I'm finishing in the field of a Cat 4 race in Hueston Woods!! :-)

In summary, I was pretty happy with my effort. I rode strong and learned some more about race strategy.

Long day in the saddle and didn't take enough water - rookie mistake! A group got off the front fairly early on - I have no idea how many guys were in the break. One of the teams with a man in the break pretty much closed the race down at that point. There were a few attempts to chase but the peleton was never able to organize long enough to bring the gap down below 30 seconds. I ran out of water after four and a half laps of seven. Had my usual bout of leg cramps but was able to stay with the main group to the end. Lots of guys were cramping in the last couple hundred meters to the finish line. It was almost comical hearing guys screaming out in pain - some just yelled out, other screamed "CRAMP!!" at the top of their lungs, as if they needed to explain to the spectators why they suddenly went from 20mph to 5mph. Given the length of the race, the number of hills, and the lack of water, I was reasonably pleased to be able to finish in the main pack.

I made great time and arrived at the marina an hour and forty five minutes before the race, so the parking lot should have been empty right? Wrong. It was full. Where the hell have all these bike racers come from? There were throngs and skads and teeming teams. And yet for all that-there were only four of us Echelons and only Dr. Joe and myself among the 50 or so 3s amassed at the start. My legs were doubtful after Saturday. I'm likely too old to race Sat and Sun but I'd sooner race than do a leisure ride knowing there's a fun race going on at a great course. There can be no doubt that doing the Acton Lake service road is better going CC than clockwise. Sorry Tym but the locals do it better. Team Hungry did a great job and thank the almighty that the Southern Ohio penchant for zip ties and ankle bracelets have gone by the wayside as it makes registration go so much smoother and I don't have to curse my lack of mechanical skills and cheap knock-off Leatherman tool. Grandpa Lee likes to call me "Mitch the Tailgunner" and I don't blame him. That's zactly what I did for the first five laps-just sat at the back and talked to my buddy Rick Toler and surveyed the long serpent of rolling asses ahead of me. From my caboose hangout I could still easily see twenty guys or so take off after only one lap and the other thirtysome were happy to race for 21st. Dr. Joe, being a doctor and all, is intelligent enough to be at or near the front at every race and though he politely declined his invitation to join the break he still took up the conductors mantle of the remainder group and so I was proud of him once again. It's time to bring this long tale to a respectful end so I will only say that though I felt perfectly comfortable on the climbs, I was completely without fluid for the last twenty five miles of this 65 mile endurance bout and my legs were useless as I attempted to show something on the final climb. I was happy it was over.