Valley City Street Fair Road Race

Ready for another one of my novels? Hard to imagine I can get all this text out of a 24-mile race...

We met pouring rain on our drive to the car-pool location, had the power go out at St. Rte. 37 as we left, drove through rain on 71, and encountered more rain as we approached the school where we registered. Yet by our 12:40ish start time, the skies were clearing, and the temperatures were not bad despite the humidity. Wendy and I had asked to be allowed to enter the women's cat 2-3 race--we wanted to race with the Stark Velo duo of Samantha and Mary Ellen. However, Mary Ellen did not make it down, and we were surprised to see Sam sitting in the men's 5 race at 10:00. Drat! No one else had registered for our 2-3 race, so we then asked Linda, the race organizer, if we could race with the women's 4s, where we would round out the field at 10. Wendy and I really are both 4s, so she kindly let us.

The course was nice except for the road construction on one stretch that had started shortly before the event, and the few hills were enough to wake you up without killing you. We were doing only 2 laps, 24.4 miles. Wendy and I set a strategy before the race, and I set the timing of it after lap 1: I would attack on the last hill of the second lap, which took you to the finish.

Our field was doing a good job of sharing the workload, and the only attacks seemed to come from Wendy and me as we'd carry a steady pace through the corners, and once when I couldn't help myself. Our field had several new racers, and in general they seemed timid in the corners. I learned very fast I needed to be near the front to avoid the inevitable whiplash. If I was leading into a corner, I'd ride hard, and make the field catch back up. Wendy did the same.

We had a strategy, right? Well, you know me. I can't help playing when I'm on the road. I realized that I could probably split the field, without killing Wendy or me, on the uphill that followed the downhill 90-degree turn. I was the third rider going through, Wendy not far behind. On the uphill, I pushed harder. I heard heavy breathing. I pushed a little harder. When I crested the first hill, I knew the field was splitting. Wendy was still near. On the next hill, I rode hard again. Only one girl was on my wheel.

I debated whether to truly attack. I did, on the descent from the school house hill to the left turn. The same girl was on my wheel, and the gap was huge after the turn. I hesitated. I didn't really want to leave Wendy behind. I wanted a 1-2 finish. She must have known what I was thinking by my two glances back, and she shouted, "Go, Shari!" That was the moment the girl counter attacked. Having raced smart, I was equal to the challenge, and I rode the technical section of the course right on her wheel. That was fun!

Then came the uphill through the housing development. Just before the next 90-degree turn, I attacked again, and by the uphill I had popped her off. I forgot about Wendy--I just wanted to win (sorry, Wendy!) Near the top, I looked back, saw Wendy had passed the girl. I knew I should have been helping her. I slowed--maybe I could still help. Jim and Alan had a fit at the finish. I realized Wendy could fend for herself and tried to speed up again, but my legs had lost the momentum, and I limped across the line. Wendy came in just a little later.

Only after the race did I learn how I had opened such a big gap--on that school house downhill, Wendy effectively blocked by riding a less-than-straight line, and slowing into and through the corner. No wonder she shouted for me to go! Thanks, teammate! You rode smart & well.

I'd recommend this race to our team next year. Nice course, well-staffed, and even a cash payout for the women's field since the 2-3 cash purse wasn't needed. Great job by Linda Miranda & the Snakebite Racing Team.

It started off looking like it was going to storm, storm, and storm some more for this race. In fact, a couple of team-mates chickened out of even going. We got up there, and it still didn't look great at first. Then, the sky cleared up and the sun came out, and the race course dried off. Shari and I were going to race the Cat 2-3 race, but no other Cat 2-3 riders showed up. So, we raced the Women's race. There were around ten of us in the pack, with several of them being first time racers. The good news is the first time racers loved to be out front pulling almost all of the time. The even better news was, not many of the pack could corner, or climb. There was only one really tough corner. Down a hill with a hard right, then back up the hill.
Lap one went by rather uneventful. No-one tried to take off. Lap two started off uneventful, then Shari and I started to make it more interesting. We came around a set of S-curves and noticed it was just us and one member from the Snakebite team, then a rather large gap. So, we decided to pick the pace up a little more. The only problem was this was the start of a long, straight, slight downhill. They got us. We got back in line and let the new racers pull some more. We get to the part with the down hill, hard right, and Shari takes a flier off of the front. Only one person was off of her back wheel, so I slowed down just a bit and hogged the road. By the time the group got down and hill, and made the right turn, I was able to hammer through the turn and almost bridge Shari. I only had one rider on my wheel. So, the four of us continue to take off, and left the group. We get into the developement for the uphill finish, and it turns out the Shari and I have the best legs of the four. She dropped the person from her wheel, and I caught them. Then, I dropped the person from my wheel.
To Allen and Jim, thanks for the encouragement throughout the race and especially at the end. I had given just about all I had, and the two of them yelling made me finish hard.

Compared to Zoar, todays course was just too easy. There just wasn't enough elevation to separate the pack, so everybody pretty much just stayed together and poked at each other occasionally. On the first lap I made several attempts to start a breakaway but they usually ended with me towing 30 guys at 25 mph. The really fun part of the first lap was the guy who stayed way to the inside on a fast turn and was in perfect position to t-bone me if he didn't hold his line coming out of the turn. I decided not to find out and went straight ahead. Fortunately I was at the head of the pack, so I made it back to the corner just as the tail end rolled through and was able to jump back on pretty easilly.

The second lap was uneventful till we hit the rollers on River Road. I made a point of being in the top three going over those things and was in second placing coming into town. Then we hit the final hill and the lead guy faded and I jumped on the tail of everyone who passed him. The top 5 people were in a tight bunch going up to the last pitch and then they took off and I just didn't have enough left to respond. I got passed by 2 other people in the last 200 meters, to make me 7th with Allan yelling at me on my tail.

So to sum up, this is probably the most aggressively I've raced all season and I paid for it in the last 250 meteres.

Very disappointing today. This was my kind of course with rollers and short climbs and I felt good today. I was riding at the front when a rider in an OSU jersey and one wearing the best young rider jersey from the Tour de France bumped shoulders. The OSU guy pushed the other causing him to go down at the front of the race. Needless to say half the field crashed over the top of him.
I did finish the race, but not with the leaders.

This should be a pretty good race for next year. Currently they're working on the pavement and sidewalks through town so that was a bit dicey. Each lap was 12.2mi not major climb but it had a technical section on the back half with a couple of short quick climbs including one to the finish line.

Jeff Yenchar and I were feeling pretty good today. Unfortunately a crash happened a couple riders behind me, he hopped over someone but landed in the ditch and went over the handlebars. He continued on but never got re-connected. The crash pretty well split the field in 2. There were maybe 12 right after the crash and we let a small group chase back on after a number of us chased down the SUV; that was driving WAY too fast by us causing the quick bunch up and tire bump; and took down their license plate.

1 guy attacked at the same place on all 3 laps and was reeled in each time. After determining that Jeff was involved in the crash I turned off the pacemaking and slipped to the back. Wendy and Shari went out looking for him after the ambulence went by (2 guys weren't as lucky in the crash).

The final lap came up, about half way through I started moving up. Going into the last of the climbs before town I was in perfect position and had the wheel I wanted. Some people passed me on the turn into town so we all started hammering only to SPIKE the brakes as 2 cars were parked in the narrow street. About 9-10 riders got though it clean, unfortunately my good position evaporated. I attempted to chase back but couldn't close the gap.

Our cat 5's did well with Randy and (soon to be member) Alan finishing 7 & 8th. Then Shari and Wendy finished 1/2 in the Womens race, Great job you two.