Or maybe it will be a retreat. Let's start with a quick recap since the last post. The final stage of the WMSR, the points race, had to be canceled due to torrential rain and flooding at Star Speedway on Thursday night. This was really a bummer, as for me so far the race had gone almost exactly like last year. I was sitting in 8th on GC and with a pretty decent track record at the points race in previous years, felt I had a good chance to move up into the money. It would have been an interesting race with three CCB and two Sunapee riders in the top spots. Next year.
On to the Attleboro criterium on Saturday. Here I had decent legs and fitness but produced nothing, and neither did anyone else on the team. The 45+ race featured lots of choppy riding and attacks that went nowhere. With three to go I was planning on moving up front and starting a really fast train for the last two laps, in order to setup Duano for a sprint. Then a CT Velo rider jumped away solo and approaching two to go he was at least 250 meters up and on this short course did not have far to go. It looked dangerous so I took the front a little early and hit it hard. Coming across the finish line I discovered that nobody had filled in behind me and I had a gap. Not what I wanted but I did not see any point in waiting around. I continued and caught the other guy at one to go, but he was toast and the pack was close. I got caught between the last two corners and it was a wasted effort, and Duano did not get up in the sprint either.
I skipped the 35+ race that most of the others entered. I hung out with The Automaton while waiting for the 30+ race to start. There was a big delay because Tommy Mannion (CCB) crashed hard in the 35+ and had to be taken out via ambulance. I talked to his son, newly crowned Junior 15-16 National Criterium champion Gavin, and he thought he would be OK, but likely had a broken clavicle and had been unconscious for a bit and thus needed observation. Welcome to Attleboro.
My thoughts that the 30+ race would be an easier field than the 35+ were dashed when I met up with Jon Bold waiting for the start. Markie Mark and Skip Foley were also entered, but at least they'd done a few races already. The 30+ started out slow and I tried to initiate a move, but nobody came up to me. Then I retreated to the pack and a serious six man move went away. I tried to bridge but they were flying and since everyone who was left either had a team mate up there, or was just toast, nobody wanted to work. The pack then shut down completely and within 15 laps the break came around from behind and lapped us. I guess one guy had fallen off, but nobody knew that; at any rate five of the seven paying places were already taken.
Since we'd been going so slow, at four to go I took off to at least try to get my money's worth with a long solo move. They spotted me ten seconds or so at one point, but at two to go it did not look great and at one to go I looked doomed. I kept it going but Markie roared past in the final turn. They were strung out so I jumped on the back of the train and rolled in 14th. All that work for nothing.
Sunday I just rode the TT bike for an hour and then played some golf with my bro. I have some thinking to do about the rest of the season. If I'm going to partake in D2R2 this year, I had best take the next weekend, which is open, to do a very long ride, maybe even John Hirsch's LAMB Ride (ok, it's not his, but that is where I heard about it). I'm concerned that my knee would not be up for this though. D2R2 may not be such a good idea this year. I think I may take the next few (rainy) days off the bike to think about it. After that, I have Concord/Bow, then the Mt A TT. On August 18th, Dieter Drake and company are putting on a 40K TT near Battenkill and since I have not done a legit 40k on a decent course, with decent fitness, and a decent TT bike in over 10 years, I want to focus on this one.
GMSR is not going to happen for me this year, but in September we have the Haverhill Crit and the Bob Beal Stage Race to finish off the road season. Somewhere in there I need to start running again and get ready for duathlon season. That's it for a Monday morning. Thanks for reading.
Saw you living up to your namesake twice on Saturday.. with two to go.. Way to put yourself out there. Nothing ventured nothing gained.. as they say. I think I sleep-raced through all my events Saturday. That last dog leg before the sprint is dangerous.. It pays to be top five through there.. Unfortunately I'm forgetful of such details over a year's time. That and I hesitate way too much when it's time to get into the hurt box. You did it right. No regrets.
ReplyDeletedumb question ... where is moose hill?
ReplyDeletejb -
ReplyDeleteMoose Hill is over in Sharon. From Norwood you can either take Neponset Street across the highway, then go right just before the viaduct (big stone RR bridge) in Canton, or you can go over via Walpole. Rt 27 runs right by it.
It is not a huge hill by any means. Much smaller than Blue Hill, but still nice roads to train on (it is an audobon sanctuary, but there are some houses and it's public roads).
From the Rt 27 side, it's a gradual step climb of about a mile. From the Sharon train station, there are two ways, but both end at the steepest part, which is probably only a quarter mile long. Last would be coming from the west side, don't remember the road name, but it's not steep from that side.
In general, Sharon, Mansfield, and Walpole offer some pretty decent roads for training, but this is the only real hill in the area.