Sprintin' nstuff

Photos courtesy of Ron Slaga

Last week on WillieWorld the subject of genetic abilities came up. While I'll stick by my assertion that at our (amateur) level, training and preparation are far, far more important than genetics, I'll concede that some of us gravitate toward using certain tactical weaponry more than others. Sure, skinny people climb better. But anyone can get skinny if they try hard enough. Sprinting might be a bit different. I've never had much jump or much speed, but I've always been regarded as a relatively decent time trialist. Genetics? Maybe it's a factor, though I can't claim to have ever worked too hard on improving my "sprint." On the other hand, I've pounded out countless hours rolleuring it up on the windy flats around here. Nothing like a two hour grind across open cranberry bogs in the middle of March with one eye on your average speed to build up the slowtwitch TT fibers genetics provided you.

This year was different. Despite the "solobreak" moniker, in the 45+ races I've been failing to make any solo escapes stick for oh, let's see, almost four years now. There are lots of riders in this group who like to head up the road, and one almost always has some company when managing to get off the front. Tired of getting fifth out of five, and also just continuing to learn how to train, this winter I spent a little bit of time on the sprinting muscles. I've been doing more "structural fitness" training anyway, and this does not just mean swinging the sledgehammer. I was a regular at the gym this winter, and have continued all the way until now. Over the indoor months, this year I tried some plyometric leg work, such as thrusting (huh-huh) a 10 kg medicine ball at the ceiling over and over until exhaustion (or, on one day, when the ball exploded upon landing, spraying sand all over the exercise studio).

All that stopped when the competitive season opened, but the sprint training had just begun. Maybe not as often as I should, but I've been doing specific workouts on some days, sprinting in the drops up and down steep hills, and some other stuff I've learned over the years. Then there is the track in Londonderry. I've only been up there twice this year, but I'm convinced this is the best way to improve your speed, as the nature of all forms of track racing (not just match sprinting) is short, intense bursts of speed in response to moves by other riders, as well as sprints to the line.

Did it work? Well, Wednesday night at the WMSR road race, four guys were off the front and gone. The remains of the field exploded the last time up the climb. Flying down the descent, I found myself second wheel behind Bruce Diehl (Sunapee-S&W). One of his teammates had attacked over the crest, and had a decent gap, so Bruce eased. Luckily, the CCB train of Leo Devellian and Sean Langford came flying by leading out Ciaran Mangan, a fast finisher. I was fortunate to find a spot on the back of this trio. They reeled in the S&W guy just before the last turn, which we flew through. The speed was very high, and coming out of the turn I clicked up into the 12. The line is about 350 meters past the turn. Doesn't sound very far...

I don't get in a lot of sprints like this. Leo pulled off soon after the turn. I had huge momentum and was closing the slight accordion that opened up in the turn, a perfectly timed slingshot. I thought the finish was closer than it was, and I stood up and opened my sprint. For sure, this was the strongest jump and best sprint I've ever put on in my life, but it was too early. For a little bit I thought I might actually win the field sprint, which would have been huge against Ciaran. But I swear they moved the finish line down from last year. Out of gas, I had to sit and try to spin it up at the end, and in the last 75 meters Ciaran, Sean, and finally Shawn Forsythe inched by. Oh well.

The next night was the infamous points race at Star Speedway, sprints for points every five laps for eighty laps. We did not get to race this last year due to a rainout, but in 2006 I was 3rd after being part of a group that lapped the field. I got 2nd in this race in 1997 after doing the same, and I've always managed to get a decent placing. You wouldn't expect a shitty sprinter to do well in a points race, but honestly this has been my best event of the three. And this year was no different. The first half of the race, I must admit, I was getting worried. CCB had a lock on the sprints, with Paul Richard taking first in four out of five. I generally sit the first several out, letting the competition get tired, but this year, with some good help from my sprinter teammates, I took a few shots to get on the board, but was always marked. Taking flyers and trying to hold it for a few laps works better for me, and I managed two seconds before getting gassed a bit and retreating. Then it happened... The top guys in the race had all been in a long break the night before, and they were tired. A quartet of Eric Pearce (Bethel), Shawn Forsythe (CCB), Mark Thompson (Sunapee-S&W) and Mark Suprenaut (Team Type 1) opened a huge gap and started riding away. Shawn was one of the guys I had a chance of overtaking in the overall, and I could not afford to give him any rope. But I was a bit smoked, and when Duano offered to bridge me up, I said "let's wait." Bad idea. The gap went out to almost half a lap. Panic button. I went around and started strong pacemaking. Then Duano comes flying by. He went so hard I never really got on his wheel. I was suffering, but hung on as close as I could while he tore around the track at 55 kph. Luckily some others filled in behind, as eventually he totally gapped me, but as I faded the swarm took up the chase and arrested the leaders.

Everyone was so gassed from Duane's surge, the front of the pack remained splintered and disorganized until the next points bell rang. It was then I followed a surge by Diehl and Forsythe. Pearce got on too, along with Thompson and Jim Nash from CCB tagging along to block. We rode away from the field. It was totally deja vu, and before long we could see the pack just a straightaway ahead. There were five of us though, and only four places in the points sprints, so we got disorganized with each sprint, and Nash did not want us to catch, as the 20 bonus points we'd each get for lapping the field would put Richard's placing in jeopardy. I did Ok in the sprints though. The training could not have hurt. The CCBs remaining in the field went into TT mode to prevent up from lapping them, and basically we ran out of laps. The race ended with me in 3rd, moving me up one spot on GC to 4th overall. I might never win the WMSR, but it sure as shit is the most fun I have all year. Night racing rocks. Thanks for reading.