Quick and Dirty

Apologies for the lack of entries here lately. My camera and computers still aren't communicating, but I finally took the initiative to do something about it and ordered a new card reader, as well as a new camera-to-usb cable in case the reader doesn't work. I almost went all out and ordered a new camera, but ultimately didn't pull the trigger. Photo geeks can let me know what you think of this. I'm used to the way Nikons work, and this one is supposed to have very low shutter lag. The 15x zoom is obscene and useless without a tripod, but I like the fact that it's a bit larger and more substantial than many of the smaller pocket cameras. Anyway while shopping I also learned you can get a Helmet Hero Wide now for just $150. Weren't they $300 just last year? What else would I need to buy in order to get decent on-the-bike video?

So back to Fall River. For me this was another "reverse the course" situation. In 2008 (I think) I got second here in the 45+. That race went clockwise around the mile-ish industrial park loop, with a small field, in the broiling heat. Last year they changed the direction, but for some reason I was not in attendance. With the road season about to come to an abrupt end (don't think GMSR is in the cards for me), and having seemingly decent form, missing F.R. this year was not an option. Besides, the race is promoted by my friends at Swansea Velo Club and Bikeworks, who also bring us the Rehoboth TT. Support your local promoters.

And it did not take long for me to lean on them. Seems the closer a race is to home, the more lackadaisical I am at getting there early. With D2R2 looming this Saturday, I had a lot of stuff to do and not much time to do it, and with an 11:50 start for the 45+ race just 30 minutes away, of course I needed to make the most of my Sunday morning by putting the finishing touches on my new bike. I really wish I could post pictures of the Soma Stanyan because it came out looking really sharp. I broke the bank and went with almost all new components, save for a few items that came off the Madone, which I was upgrading with Dura-Ace gear changing stuff. The Soma is black with chrome head tube lugs, very classic and classy looking. Not a lightweight by any means, with the lugged steel fork alone tipping the scale at 900 grams. But the ride is sweet and if I swapped in a carbon fork (which I won't) and put on lightweight clincher wheels it could be brought down to right about 20 pounds even. As it is, with a 12/30 cassette and Michelin Jet CX tires that barely clear the chainstays, it's just over 22. But this wasn't supposed to be about the bike, and I should have pics by Friday night anyway. However, 10:30 am came up quick and my race stuff still wasn't packed, so I threw it together and headed south on 24, getting to the venue just 20 minutes before the scheduled start.

Sound familiar? With no time, I dressed in just a shorts and jersey rather than a skinsuit so that I could pull it over my head and pin up my number on the line. The new team clothes were in and being delivered at the race, but there was no time for that. Brucie met me there and helped me get setup and I raced over to registration, which they said had closed for the 45+. Once again, I grab a friendly face, Gene Garneau who was serving as the SVC promoter, and pleaded for him to get me a number and onto the start list. We go barging in to the scoring tent just as the Cat 4 race is sprinting for the line, winning big points by walking between the officials trying to pick the finish and the pack at precisely the wrong second! They were pissed. Sorry guys, but at least we did not get in the way of the camera.

Gene got me a number (thanks dude!) and I got pinned up with enough spare time to do a quick lap of the course. I thought I'd be bummed with this direction as I liked the little hill before the finish going the other way, but that's because I'd forgotten about the old downhill, which was now a sizeable climb. Probably 300 meters long, and steep enough to gap weak riders, the road was super-wide, making it the perfect launch pad for an attack. If you had the legs. I got to the start and lined up with about 41 other geezers for what would be a 45 minute time race, and off we went on the whistle. Mostly I sat in, as I wasn't warmed up. Got used to the course, which was pretty bumpy in a few spots. The finishing stretch was a false flat with a headwind. I had team mates Jim Breen and Wayne S in the pack. Can't report too much. There were primes, and some aggression at the front of the group, but nothing seemed to be getting away. About halfway race announcer Paul Nixon called out a $25 cash prime, and told us it would be two, back-to-back. I wanted to test my legs, so on the hill I jumped hard, quickly moving away from the pack. But, looking down between my legs I could see a front tire, so someone had covered. To my dismay, when I glanced over the shoulder, it was Charlie Bedard (Sunapee), a feared sprinter.

Not sure if it was one or two places for the prime, I swung over and Charlie came through. We had a decent gap, maybe 50-70 meters. At the top of the hill the course turns left and there were about 300 meters to the line from there. As we approached the turn, a fire truck with lights and siren was coming the other way down the (closed) road leading to the course. Now we all know that races ALWAYS yield to emergency vehicles, and the timing was such that the fire truck was going to beat us to the turn anyway. The pace car slowed, and the driver held out his hand, giving us the "stop" sign, so we shut it down. The truck took the turn toward the finish, and the pace car followed, as of course so did we. Charlie and I just kind of looked at each other, kind of "oh well." Most of the time in this situation, there would be an entire neutral lap and restart. As it was, the chasing pack had sort of neutralized themselves too, and me and Charlie still had 30 meters or so even though we were soft pedaling. And the fire truck hauled ass down the road, with the pace car speeding up and taking off about 100 meters from the sprint line, as if the race was suddenly back on. I think it was just a quick decision by the driver, who may not have had an official in the car.

John Grenier (Fuji) leaped out of the pack and sped by us to sprint for the prime. Solobreak reader Gary Jasdzewski (BRC) went after him. Going by the line I protested to the officials, saying "WTF? the pace car neutralized us!" The situation was pretty strange, but really one of those things that was an unforeseeable incident. So in the end I think they nullified that prime, which John had taken before sitting up and letting us catch him. Gary kept going though, as the second prime (and as it turns out the first) were still on the table. Are you following this? Well, we never saw him again. He pulled out a twenty second lead that he never relinquished, winning the race after staying out there solo for the six or seven remaining laps. Behind, at three or four to go a chase group formed with Leo Devellian (CCB), Dave Kellogg (Arc-en-Ciel), Mark Thompson (Sunapee) and Bob Bisson (Mid-State Velo). All the teams with multiple riders were represented, except of course BOB. The group had about 8-10 seconds as the field took two to go, and Sammy Morse (Corner Cycle), riding without team mates, jumped out to try to bridge, with me behind him. I pulled through on the downhill but on the backstretch the blockers from the field came back to us, though the front of the field was now pointy and fragmented. Sammy persisted, but I dropped back a few places. At the turn on to the climb, I went again, way over on the left, getting a good jump and riding away from the field. Just like last week, I found awesome legs precisely when I needed them, closing most of the gap to the break right away.

Turning onto the homestretch and taking the bell for the final lap, I was just about in contact. The field was not far behind, but still I had to sit on the back of the break to recover. Jasdzewski was gone, so we were racing for second. The break was rotating smoothly. By the end of the backstretch, I had moved up the queue but not hit the front yet. I was still pretty gassed, so maybe I should have just waited and made the sprint as short as possible, but since I seemed stronger than the others on the hill the entire race, and because my turn came up just as we hit the base, I simply attacked them. But it did not work. I'd left my turbo on the course the prior lap to close the gap. Once we got to the top, I just went to the back of the line as I had nothing left to sprint with, following them in just ahead of the pack for 6th, which was the last paying spot. Gene also gave me a race T-shirt along with my prize, which was very nice of him. I passed on doing a second race, as I had to get home to test ride the Soma, and also because I had another round of LT/VO2 Max testing scheduled for Tuesday, so I needed to save something. Well, this was neither quick nor dirty, nor particularly interesting for that matter, but keeping this up is my duty, right? Maybe more coming this weekend if I have wifi out in Deerfield. Word is that Jonny Bold is going to ride with his fractured collar bone, what a madman. I have a cranky knee so I'll have my hands full just finishing I think. I've already scoured the maps for the shortcuts. Good luck to my friends competing up at Timberman this weekend, and thanks for reading.