I'm Still Here
Its been a while since I last updated this thing. Its been way too busy. We just closed on a house in Columbus...we'll be moving north in a couple of weeks. Work is killing me and I'm still getting decent time on the bike. I will definitely need to take a little break in May and recharge for the crit season.
I finished up the Ohio Valley Racing Series last Sunday at Rabbit Hash, KY. I ended up finishing fifth overall in the series for the Cat 3s.
Before I describe the hell I found in northwest Kentucky, I'll recap the previous three weeks of the series.
My disclaimer...This report is how I remember the facts of the race and may not be completely factual. In fact it may, in no way, resemble what actually happened in the race at all...Its just how I remember the event. If you where there and remember it differently, I don't care...go write your own report."
Deer Creek Road Race (4/15/07) was a day for the hard men for sure...30 mph winds a temps in the low 40s. The race directors combined the cat 1-2 and 3 fields into one race. I guess the 1-2s wanted to show the 3s how its done. The race blow apart before the end of the first of four trips around the 10 mile circuit. I started the second lap alone, watching the front group ride away from me. Luckily, Ryan rode up from behind and we were able to work together to catch guys who had been dropped from the front group. In the end, four of us worked together to get to the finish. I ended up with a 9th place.
Vandervorts Road Race (4/22/07) was much better as far as the weather was concerned. It was a little breezy but it was sunny with the temperature in the mid 70s. The Cat 3 race was pretty uneventfully for the first half of the 60 mile race. There were a few attacks but they were all brought back. Finally, at about the 30 mile point, three riders got off the front and managed to stay away. I was feeling pretty crappy before the race started and was really worried about even finishing so I decided to just sit in the field and not follow the attacks. At some point, three more racers got away and left the rest of us gravelling for a measly 7th place. Ryan rode off the front with two Torelli guys and stayed just off the front of the dwindling field for for almost 8 miles. Dan from Team Dayton finally came to the front and pulled the field back up to Ryan's group as we took the bell for the last 8 mile lap. The field became very lethargic and let one of the Torelli guys roll off the front with about four miles to go. I think everyone was waiting for Dan to pull him back again but no one was willing to help so we just let him have 7th. As we hit 1km to go, Ryan came to the front and started to really wind it up. I was sitting second wheel right behind him. At about 300 meters I started yelling at him to keep it up and go faster. He punched it one more time just before the full-on dash to the line started. I only managed fourth in the field, 11th overall. I couldn't be too disappointed with the place, consider how bad I felt at the start, but I was disappointed that I couldn't finish off the field sprint after to perfect lead out from Ryan. I was really hoping Ryan had enough left to stay at the front all the way to the line and take the sprint. He deserved but it didn't workout that way.
Rabbit Hash (4/29/07), like I said, a day of hell in northwest Kentucky. Hills I can survive...check that, short hills I can survive. Throw a longer climb at me and I'll probably be off the back. That's exactly where I found myself at Rabbit Hash. The Cat 3s had to do four laps of a 13.5 mile loop, with two big hills at the beginning of each lap. I made it over the hills, with the field, the first two times but on the third time up the first climb, I was just dropped off the back by a few yards. John dropped back to help pace me up but I finally told him to go ahead. I was glad to see he made it back to the field just as they crested the top of the climb. On the descent, I managed to get back to the field at the bottom, even passing a Harley motorcycle on the way down the 50 mph hill. We started up the second climb and I was off the back again. An SUV had passed me just after I dropped back from the field. They were slowed by Ryan and another rider who were being dropped. That gave me the opportunity to ride back up to the SUV. I rode up to the driver's side window and asked the women driver if I could hang on. I grabbed the side of the car as we made our way up the hill. I thought she might take me right back to the field but I had to let go and drop back when she need to make a turn into a driveway. I hooked up with Ryan again at the top. We chased for the rest of the third lap but couldn't catch the field. When we hit the start/finish for the bell lap, Ryan decided he had enough. I decided to keep going and finish out the race, even if I had to ride the last 13 miles alone. I slogged up the climbs again, rode across the rollers on the back side and finally hit the last flat four mile run into the finish. Two Cycle-Dots guys caught me with two miles to go and actually started to work tactics. I'm literally thinking "this is bullshit". We're riding for something like 18th place and these guys want to leave gaps for me to close and then attack me? It was bullshit. Why not just ride to the finish together. If you really want that 18th place I'll let you have it. I finally got tired of the crap at 1 km to go and just waved them by. Matt finished with a great fourth place. John had a good ride and finished 17th. It just turned out to be a very bad day for me. I finished 21st and dropped from 4th to finish 5th in the overall. I sucked big time at Rabbit Hash.
Ryan was great all spring. He basically towed me around and kept me in a good place at the races...especially during the last three. I probably would not have finished Deer Creek or Rabbit Hash if it wasn't for Ryan. I'm looking forward to giving him a little pay back this summer.
I finished up the Ohio Valley Racing Series last Sunday at Rabbit Hash, KY. I ended up finishing fifth overall in the series for the Cat 3s.
Before I describe the hell I found in northwest Kentucky, I'll recap the previous three weeks of the series.
My disclaimer...This report is how I remember the facts of the race and may not be completely factual. In fact it may, in no way, resemble what actually happened in the race at all...Its just how I remember the event. If you where there and remember it differently, I don't care...go write your own report."
Deer Creek Road Race (4/15/07) was a day for the hard men for sure...30 mph winds a temps in the low 40s. The race directors combined the cat 1-2 and 3 fields into one race. I guess the 1-2s wanted to show the 3s how its done. The race blow apart before the end of the first of four trips around the 10 mile circuit. I started the second lap alone, watching the front group ride away from me. Luckily, Ryan rode up from behind and we were able to work together to catch guys who had been dropped from the front group. In the end, four of us worked together to get to the finish. I ended up with a 9th place.
Vandervorts Road Race (4/22/07) was much better as far as the weather was concerned. It was a little breezy but it was sunny with the temperature in the mid 70s. The Cat 3 race was pretty uneventfully for the first half of the 60 mile race. There were a few attacks but they were all brought back. Finally, at about the 30 mile point, three riders got off the front and managed to stay away. I was feeling pretty crappy before the race started and was really worried about even finishing so I decided to just sit in the field and not follow the attacks. At some point, three more racers got away and left the rest of us gravelling for a measly 7th place. Ryan rode off the front with two Torelli guys and stayed just off the front of the dwindling field for for almost 8 miles. Dan from Team Dayton finally came to the front and pulled the field back up to Ryan's group as we took the bell for the last 8 mile lap. The field became very lethargic and let one of the Torelli guys roll off the front with about four miles to go. I think everyone was waiting for Dan to pull him back again but no one was willing to help so we just let him have 7th. As we hit 1km to go, Ryan came to the front and started to really wind it up. I was sitting second wheel right behind him. At about 300 meters I started yelling at him to keep it up and go faster. He punched it one more time just before the full-on dash to the line started. I only managed fourth in the field, 11th overall. I couldn't be too disappointed with the place, consider how bad I felt at the start, but I was disappointed that I couldn't finish off the field sprint after to perfect lead out from Ryan. I was really hoping Ryan had enough left to stay at the front all the way to the line and take the sprint. He deserved but it didn't workout that way.
Rabbit Hash (4/29/07), like I said, a day of hell in northwest Kentucky. Hills I can survive...check that, short hills I can survive. Throw a longer climb at me and I'll probably be off the back. That's exactly where I found myself at Rabbit Hash. The Cat 3s had to do four laps of a 13.5 mile loop, with two big hills at the beginning of each lap. I made it over the hills, with the field, the first two times but on the third time up the first climb, I was just dropped off the back by a few yards. John dropped back to help pace me up but I finally told him to go ahead. I was glad to see he made it back to the field just as they crested the top of the climb. On the descent, I managed to get back to the field at the bottom, even passing a Harley motorcycle on the way down the 50 mph hill. We started up the second climb and I was off the back again. An SUV had passed me just after I dropped back from the field. They were slowed by Ryan and another rider who were being dropped. That gave me the opportunity to ride back up to the SUV. I rode up to the driver's side window and asked the women driver if I could hang on. I grabbed the side of the car as we made our way up the hill. I thought she might take me right back to the field but I had to let go and drop back when she need to make a turn into a driveway. I hooked up with Ryan again at the top. We chased for the rest of the third lap but couldn't catch the field. When we hit the start/finish for the bell lap, Ryan decided he had enough. I decided to keep going and finish out the race, even if I had to ride the last 13 miles alone. I slogged up the climbs again, rode across the rollers on the back side and finally hit the last flat four mile run into the finish. Two Cycle-Dots guys caught me with two miles to go and actually started to work tactics. I'm literally thinking "this is bullshit". We're riding for something like 18th place and these guys want to leave gaps for me to close and then attack me? It was bullshit. Why not just ride to the finish together. If you really want that 18th place I'll let you have it. I finally got tired of the crap at 1 km to go and just waved them by. Matt finished with a great fourth place. John had a good ride and finished 17th. It just turned out to be a very bad day for me. I finished 21st and dropped from 4th to finish 5th in the overall. I sucked big time at Rabbit Hash.
Ryan was great all spring. He basically towed me around and kept me in a good place at the races...especially during the last three. I probably would not have finished Deer Creek or Rabbit Hash if it wasn't for Ryan. I'm looking forward to giving him a little pay back this summer.
posted by Doug at 9:15 AM
2 Comments:
Way to kill the spring series!
That is tough to be that consistent that early in the year. Are you going to start doing the Harveysburg series before you move? I am going to be there for the 15th.
Hey Enmark, I won't be at Harveysburg on the 15th. I'll be up in Columbus by the end of this week. Good luck.
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