A New England Masters Cycling Team

Well boys...there's good news and then there is bad.

I picked up 3rd but I burned Don Mills from Fiorda Fruitta to do it.

He's rather pissed but, maybe someday he'll get over it. Here's the story:

It looks like Turtle Pond and rain chased most of the entrants away. I think we might have had 30 starters...but a few big names. It looked like it would be a battle between MRC and Bike Link. MRC had like 6 guys and Bike Link had 4 or 5.

SpinArts had a few guys, Tom Stevens, Paul Curly...another guy.

I was looking mostly at MRC, Coleman O'conner (Bike Link) or Don Mills to be the ones to watch. Kyle Gates looked like he might have a chance and I've been beat in plenty of sprints by Curley.

The thing was, lots of guys raced 45+ already...Stevens, Curly and O'Conner. Coleman went real hard in the 45+ so I was figuring he might be sapped. Stevens said he was palpatating and even if he wasn't...the hill eventually can sap you.

So much for that thinking.

Things started out pretty normal. MRC had this train thing going like they were setting tempo, so I figured they might launch a guy. I didn't want to miss it because there isn't much of a pack to bring things back.

They go pretty hard, I jump on it. Then it eases up. Then, like always, 2 guys blast up the right side...I'm boxed in and they let them go. It happens to be Coleman and Mosher?...I think. So I'm thinking, well...that's the end of the race. Coleman can probably do it on his own, never mind with help from his own teammate.

The responsibility falls on MRC since they have six guys. They sorta pull, then they sorta stop. I really couldn't tell if they were trying to bring it back or get one of their guys to bridge. After about a lap, we can't even see Coleman so I'm thinking...well...that's it for first and second.

Kyle Gates does a good push up the hill...SpinArts tries to help out...the two remaining Bike Link guys block...then Mills takes a real good attack. I'm not really in the best position to respond but I figure that's the end of the race if I don't so I bury myself to bridge up to him and the wiley Curly. Curly and I immediately back off and let Mills pull and you can see the field pounding hard.

So then I'm thinking, that's real great that MRC can ride real hard to pull back Don but they aren't going to reel in Coleman. WTF!!!!

I stay near the front for a little bit to see if MRC counters...and they try but it doesn't amount to crap.

So then I just resign things to be a crappy race where there are only about 15-20 guys left that are throwing in the towel. Then I remember that Don is around somewhere...sure enough...in the very back. I slide back knowing MRC ain't gonna get their sh*t together, SpinArts is tired from previous races and Mills is the only guy that can probably bridge.

Sure enough...he starts wiggling from the back just before the hill past the Start/Finish. I keep his wheel close and he steps on the gas from the bottom of the climb.

I hold his wheel OK but there are 5 laps to go...5 climbs...12.5 miles and I'm thinking...he's Don Mills...I'm Matt Domnarski. He's going to drop my (posterior)and I won't end up with (diddly).

We turn the corner into the wind and right away he's flicking the elbow. I just say...Sorry...I can't do it. I'm also figuring he's got a tall order to pull those two back in. If he's really going to do it, I'll need everything I have to hold his wheel.

He's riding hard but not killing me. I don't know how fatigue will figure in but I figure I'm good for fourth. He flicks the elbow again and I just say, hey...I can't do it. I'll take fourth.

So...to shorten the story...we end up out of sight...he tows my ass around and we can start to see Coleman but there are only three laps left and I'm thinking....there ain't no way. Plus...what's he got left?

Next lap...same gap...and now I can see Don starting to rest here and there. He's not really taking the downhill curve very well and every time he hits the brakes it sounds like he's scalding a cat. I'm thinking...man...what are you using your brakes for? I was able to take it at full speed from the less beat up pavement on the inside. He's taking the wide line and he still keeps hitting the brakes. Whatever...he used to be the Pro...not me.

So...maybe I can gun it through the corner and take third...but that's a long way to go and he'll probably gun me down just because he'll be pissed.

Last lap and the bargaining begins. "So you get 4th right? You are good for your word?" I say to him, "How about you give me third and you can have all the prize money?"

"No...I towed you for 5 laps. You are going to take 4th and I'm going to be third."

I just say..."yeah".

He eases up here and there but we are in no man's land. Just before the last rise I wind up the 53-12 and blast by him while he starts screaming, "You BasTARRRRRRRRRRRRD!!!!"

Well...I got third. Not the way I wanted to do it but I'll take it.

I wait for him and he chases me down...so I get off the bike quick before he yanks me to the ground. Then he gets right in my face with his finger and I'm thinking...here we go. I think he's going to hit me. But he doesn't. Maybe because I looked him in the eye...but I've seen that look a million times as a Trooper at many a domestic and was surprised he didn't.

He's spouting off...I had your word! I can't f-ing believe you!!! yada yada.

I said...Hey...I'm sorry but that was the only way I was going to get third today. If I was fifth I'd give you fourth, but not a podium spot.

He goes on that we could have caught them...so I just said, " No WE couldn't. I would have towed you up for the win and ended up fourth. If you want to blame someone, blame MRC, or jump earlier next time...or better yet, you should have shook me on the climb. Its not the way I want to win, but you are a lot better than me. This is the best I can do...you can still have the prize money if you want it.

Don goes...your name is (cocka)! You'll be a marked man all season. I reply, "Go ahead...that's why I took third. You'll be lucky to see me up there in most races. Even with my cheap third you'll still end up with more wins than me.

So Don starts riding away and says he doesn't want my money. I say, suit yourself. He must have thought of something new to say so he comes back while I'm loading up the car because its 1:55 and I have to make it to work in Chicopee for 3pm. I've got a 2 hour ride to do in one hour. He rolls up and says...Why don't you go home and tell your wife tonight that you are not a man!

I just said, "My wife doesn't even like bike racing. Sorry...I'll see you later. That's racing. Take the money, you earned it.".

As I booted out of there...I could see him rolling around the parking lot to anyone who will listen

Now...it wasn't quite as satisfying as Ted's win over McKone...but this old dog will take it. I'm probably done after 2008 anyway...but I can guarantee you I won't be getting any offers from the Fiorda boys!

Matt

More on my rib later. Ningrit Redux. The weather was much better this week with the fog lifting just as our 30+ field was called to the line. 50 or more riders with many of the big names in New England masters racing. Gary and I were vastly outnumbered by all the CCB, Gearworks, FedEx, and other well represented teams. Fast from the gun when Jonny Bold attacked. Having just won the 40+ race he was marked and would continually be marked the whole race. It was really kinda funny. One FedEx guy was just following Jonny around. Watch the good guys, but race your own race.

Nothing like a strong field of riders to make you realize your fitness, even with a win and a 3rd under your belt, isn't as good as you'd like. I was following a lot of moves and made a couple myself but I never felt like I could sustain much. Gary did a great job pulling back a big split that one of us should have been in. Most of the names were up there and I just didn't have the power at that point. The race came down to a bunch sprint. With 3 to go I decided not to get involved as it was already getting sketchy. But in the last lap holes opened up and I was able to get in the front third. We make the left hander that sets up the short backside straight before the final turn. I'm in good position on the outside and feel like I still have a lot left in the lungs and legs. Then it happened. Guys getting together just in front of me. I lock 'em up and make my way through 3 or 4 guys and bikes and waterbottles. I've made it. I just might get out of this thing. Then there he was. A rider tumbling and tangled with another. His head is going to stop my front wheel. Boom! I tumble and land right on top of him. Luckily nobody hits me. I land hard on something. A handlebar? Break lever? Pedal? Who knows. I felt it immediately. My left mid back. Kidney. Rib. Something is going to be real sore. A guy helps me get up. My feet were still clipped in. I make out OK. I lost my rear tubular, burned through all the rubber right down to the threads. Another second on the brakes and that sucker would have blown. I didn't slide so no road rash or torn clothes. Just a painful spot on my back. Bill Yarbrody was banged up and the ambulance was called but he didn't go to the hospital and was able to get himself home. The Anthem guy I landed on, his bike was the most damaged. His rear wheel was ripped out taking the derailleur hanger right off. I got cleaned up. Switched wheels and rode around for an hour to see if I could start the Pro 1-2 race. I did. Missed the break but stayed in the field and felt OK. Drove home with an ice pack as my friend.

Wade - still sore.

First off, what a difference a week makes. This Saturday's warm sunny weather was in stark contrast to last weeks chilling showers and made for much more hospitable racing conditions.

Second, have you ever had one of those race mornings? You know how you are really supposed to do your bike maintenance the night or even day before race day? Well, didn't happen. I got down to the basement early (for me that is) on Saturday morning planning to switch wheels, make some quick adjustments, check bolts, and lube the chain. All was well until the chain lubing; I had at least 5 stiff links thanks to last Saturday's soaking. Loosening and splicing wasn't working, so I had to run to 2 LBS's in order to find a replacement and arrived at Ningret with 15 min before the 30+ race.

I arrived and immediately threw on shorts, pulled out the bike, threw the wheels on and pulled the old chain. Thankfully, Wade spotted me and was able to run over to registration and grab my number. Meanwhile, I broke the new chain to length and threaded it through. Wade had pinned my number on my jersey and I finished suiting up just in time to make the start line!

After that excitement, the beginning of the race was almost anticlimactic. I figured I was actually going to try and follow Matt's advice this week, so I spent most of the first half of the race sitting in. There were several larger break attempts some of which Wade was covering, but none of which proved good enough to go away. Somewhere beyond mid-race, a largish break had formed along with a small split to a chase group. Wade was sitting in and I was feeling good, so, out went the conserve energy plan (yes Matt, another "told you so" moment). I worked to get into the chase group and looked for opportunities to bridge up. We did manage to catch onto the break, but it was not meant to be and the main pack came back together shortly thereafter.

Once we hit the countdown at 6 to go, I figured on keeping up in the front to maintain position for the sprint. At just under five to go, I was in good position when Tyler Munroe launched an attack. I couldn't resist and jumped on his wheel. We again did not get sufficiently clear and I had burned a bit much late in the game ("told you so moment #2"). I regrouped back in mid pack and sat in 'til 2 to go to recover. At 2 to go, I started fighting back up towards the front. By the last lap I was getting into decent position and on the 4th and 3rd to last turns I moved up to the point where I could grab a number of choices of wheels.

The pack mushroomed out in anticipation of the sprint just after the left hand turn behind the trees. Suddenly chaos erupted on the right side with all the sounds of metal on metal/pavement/etc. you don't want to hear. A major pile-up was happening and spreading from right to left. I managed to barely avoid the crash with an out on the left side, but the leaders ahead of the crash had an unsurmountable 1-2 sec gap and drove accordingly. I pushed for 1st in what there was of a chase and pulled in just out of the money at 11th.

I learned after the fact (from Wade) that he had been caught up in the crash. Though, by landing on someone else was relatively cushioned (except for a nice handlebar imprint over his kidney). Thankfully, though there was lots of road rash, no-one went to the hospital. Wade said Bill Yarbroudy was worse off with a bad shot to the knee.

The Cat 4 race got started without fanfare and this time I committed to following the conserve energy and maintain good placing in the pack strategy. I felt very comfortable in the race and was able to do some assessment of the other riders during the race. With under 5 to go I started getting set up for the sprint, keeping close to the rider I thought was strongest (3rd place finisher from last week) and a few other sprinter types. I was feeling nice an relaxed and getting psyched for the sprint.

With under two to go, plans instantly changed. The rider I felt was good for the win attacked on the back stretch, and I made the split second decision to catch his wheel. I pulled through from the trees to the start finish line, but as the other rider pulled through, he gapped me into the two really sharp left handers. I could not regain his wheel and tried to reintegrate into the pack.

At this point, my legs were burnt from the 30+ race and this late effort. I couldn't maintain placement in the sprint and filtered back to 20th. In retrospect, I should have known that I'd put in enough efforts already that I wouldn't be able to hold the wheel. The safer bet would have been to sprint for 2nd. However, I just knew that I was following the right wheel and got caught in the moment.

The best thing about Saturday's races is that I have finally lost the lurking apprehension I had through most of last season after the crash. I finally felt really comfortable in the pack and felt I was able to move about pretty much at will. Now all I need is a bit more wisdom to improve my finishes!

Having plunked down my $42 earlier in the week, I felt obligated to race at Ninigret despite the impending weather yesterday. Sure enough, en route to the race, the first of many raindrops started showing up on my windshield. I arrived and picked up my numbers amid a gentle shower with a not to unseasonable 50 degrees. Not too bad, I thought as I headed back to the car and pin numbers on jerseys.

As I sat, the showers got a bit heavier, and I waited until about 2 to go in the cat 5 race before actually changing up and putting the bike together. I got a quickie ten minute warm up in and lined up for the Cat 4 race.

Right off the bat, I'll have to admit that I did not take Matt's advice to sit back and save energy for the sprints. In my defense, it was getting too cold and wet and I didn't relish the idea of sitting in an hours worth of wheel wash. On top of that, the field was way more motivated than I might have expected on a wet dreary day. Attacks started within the first lap and I had the distinct feeling that something would work. I got involved in a 7-8 person break (well, almost more of a split) that did not really get a good rhythm going. After dangling out in front for several laps, I figured we were going to get caught and that perhaps a break wasn't going to work after all. I sat up and got ready to suck wheel spray for a while.

That was my first mistake of the race. Two of the other riders in the break countered and got a gap. One had a couple of teammates that proved to be pretty effective in blocking. I made a few bridging efforts but never was able to get off the front without one of the blockers latching onto my wheel. Nobody else was really dealing effectively with the blockers, so I sat back and regrouped for the sprint.

At about 4 or 5 to go the guy in the break with the assisting teammates blew up and started coming back at us. The pack smelled blood and picked up the pace but the other breakaway rider started moving away. A single rider managed to bridge up and then there were two leaders again. With 3 to go, it looked as if those two were gone, so I started setting up for the pack sprint. I had essentially no idea who the strong riders in the race were, so I set myself up in the top five and worked to stay there.

Things bogged in the turn on the approach to the finish as people up front started anticipating the stiff headwind, so I took the opportunity to jump there. I got good acceleration out of the turn only to turn up into the wind and realize that I'd overgeared because I was sheltered in the turn. Rather than mess with a gear change, I kept pounding to minimize the number of people picking we off. Only 7 others got by so I held out for 10th, which was like deja vu all over again.
Well, no upgrade points, but 13 bucks in my pocket. No a bad season start.

For the cat 3/4 race, I made a quick change of my soaked upper kit at the car. I probably should've just dropped trou' too and made the full change just to get full dry. I sucked down a gel and grabbed a full water bottle and headed back to the start line.

I'd definitely worked too hard in the first race, so I did opt to hang back and take a cold shower in the middle of the pack. With the rain coming down harder and standing water in many places on the track, it was impossible to stay dry. A break went off fairly early on and looked like it might have stuck. One team (not sure who - solid black kit) seemed to be working to keep the break away.

About 2/3rds or so into the race, we had the one accident I saw that day on the exit of the 2nd sharp left hander. Being an opportunist, I saw the ensuing chaos as a potential to bridge up. I attacked and drove for about a half lap, only to realize I was dragging the field back. Unfortunately, that was nearly the last of my available efforts for the day. The break did end up getting caught, but by 4 to go, I was trying to shake off cramps in my semi- hypothermic quads. At 2 to go I was keeping forward and tested standing going through the back turn. Not good, the right leg was really trying to lock up. I spun high cadence looking to keep up position, but knew a sprint was out of the question.

When the field accelerated in the back stretch of the final lap, I was keeping up, but far enough back that I wasn't remotely in contention. I spun in and started a cool down lap. Halfway through, I experienced leg lock again for the second time this season. The right quad lock up and I had to get off the bike and kneel to work the cramp out.

Now, that probably should have been the signal to call the $10 entry into the master's race a donation and pack up, but I didn't. I changed into warm clothes, collected my $13 from the Cat 4 race and sat in my car to try to get warmed up and eat. Some 30 min later, I had finally stopped shivering. By the time the P/1/2/3 race ended (which looked like absolute misery on a bike) I decided I might as well kit up and try out the 35+ race. It was now about 40 degrees and still raining, so I layered in two shorts, a long sleeve undershirt, long sleeve jersey, winter jacket and wind vest and I was actually almost warm. I took a few laps to see whether the cramps were past and lined up to start.

Unsurprisingly a break went off within minutes. I spent the next 12 minutes dangling at the back of the pack until I was fully detached. Meanwhile, Todd Buckley had TT'd off the front of the break and was steadily gaining on the pack. By the time I was leaving, he'd lapped the field.

To all who passed on this race, smart move! It was one of the coldest, wettest races I've done; including day one of CX nationals! By the time I got home and showered, it was dropping rain plus all manner of frozen precip. out of the sky! Nonetheless, I was happy with the 10th in the 4's and got an extremely good workout to boot (parts of me are still aching!).

I just read the race report on the Bethel site (http://www.carpediemracing.org/20060402_CriteriumDeBethelresults2006.html), and it's kind of, sort of accurate but I'll tell my version...

Arlen (I mean Wenzel Zane), Ed, Scott and I rode down from Exit 10. Or rather raced down. Wenzelarlenzane does not know what the word "easy" means. We got to the race at 12:50 which meant there was still 20 minutes before the end of the 3/4 race. So we all coughed up the extra dough and registered for both the 30+ and 1-2-3 races. Wade was already there (having smartly driven down) and signed up for both.

Only about 20 guys had signed up for the 30+ race and we got to the line only to be told the race was cancelled, and the 1-2-3 race would start at 1:50. Confusion ensued, and after much discussion we were off for 30 minutes + 5 laps. I can't remember the order or frequency of attacking but contrary to the way the race report above reads, Arlen was aggressive in getting free with Fernando, and they worked steadily to forge a huge gap. Ed bridged solo to a small counterattack group at one point, a smart move since he could sit in, waiting to attack if Arlen and Fernando were caught. Scott, Wade and I did a fine job of patrolling the "pack" and I pulled off with one to go to watch the sprint. Arlen looked a bit overgeared and his 2 bike length lead with 20 meters to the line became a one bike length deficit at the line. Ed took 5th, and we were $65 richer!

The 1-2-3 race was weird. It was very aggressive from the start and within 10 minutes, 5 or 6 guys were up the road and gone. They built over a minute lead, but Anthem didn't seem too worried until about halfway through. That's when it got really weird. They tried very hard to mount a chase, with Mike and Ron trying their best to coordinate via their radios. Problem is they would drill it up the hill (with a tailwind), stringing the field out enough that gaps would open and then it would bunch all together and slow down in the headwind. And we'd be back to square one. Coupled with random, seemingly pointless attacks by Unkert, the break just got farther and farther ahead until we got lapped with one to go.

The weirdest parts of the day were hearing the words "Come on! We have to save the jersey!" uttered in a race at BETHEL, and Unkert and some Tokeneke guy arguing after the race (for Tim's version see http://www.timunkert.com/diary.html).

The ride back to Exit 10 was painful but a Coke and $13 in my pocket got me through it. Back at at the car the tally was 2 races, 3:30 riding time and 115k. Not bad for early April.