A New England Masters Cycling Team

From a promoters point of view the race went really well. There were some problems, there always are, but overall I'm pleased. We had great weather for the first time in 3 years. The "epic" cross race may be the one with rain or snow and mud but the one with a nice cool sunny day will have more racers in attendance! And I won't be back at the Camp everyday for a month repairing the damage done by a bunch of bikes going 'round and 'round on the same tract of land. I spent some time there Tuesday and I'll have to go back again but the damage is minimal compared to last year. I'd like to thank my crew; Ted, Arlen aka Zane, Gary, Ed, Paul, Wayne, Matt, Amanda, Dave and of course Laura and Nathaniel. Can't forget the officials, Mike, Meg and Don. I asked a lot of them to try and score this year's event. Sure I said, 3 officials is plenty, we never have more than 125 riders for the day. Biggest field has been 35 riders. Been like that for 5 years. Well, 63 Beginner men and throw in a dozen cub juniors and 10 women and you've got yourself a mess. Master's field wasn't much better with about 50 riders. We'll be prepared in 2007.

I lined up front row in the Masters looking to keep my streak alive. I've never been lower than 5th in my own race. I had a bad start and got squeezed back to about 15th by the time we hit the hill. Because of traffic I had to dismount which cost me another few spots. I had to get by some slower riders which took some time and cost some time but I managed. For the next 2 laps I tried to latch onto the group just in front. I was alone a lot but also worked with Matt "I fly helicopters for a living" Domnarski. But I dropped him and then he dropped me then I dropped him. Finally I caught the group Mike Bedard (Gearworks) a very good rider who is coming back from a year off due to injury. I'm pretty sure Mike has been the 45+ Verge Champion. Also in the group were Todd Bowden (CVC), former MTB pro from Canada if I'm not mistaken, Jeff Kellogg (NAV Pedros) and Chris Adeletti (Cyclocnauts). Chasing solo just behind us was Jan Weijak (Verge). I'm sure people have heard of Jan. Former pro. Elite Cross Champion twice, at least one Masters Nat Championship. I yo'd yo'd a little but stayed with the group. Ted shouted from the sidelines that we were going for 4th. Groom, Hines and Davis were together up-front and pulling away. We lost Bowden to what I thought was a flat. I later learned he broke his freehub. The last time up the steep climb I charged to the front and got a gap. Before the race I tested out using the big ring on the hill. I was thinking about the start but it ended up being a factor in the last lap. By the end of the first beach, on the stairs, Mike and Chris had caught me back. As we went by the pit I pulled over and let them come through. I sat back and waited to attack. Through the 2nd beach OK. Held on through the twists and turns and the long false flat. Then down across the bmx track. I went through the drainage pit of despair first and made it out alive with a small gap. I rode well through the last sand pit with Mike right on my heels. I opened up my sprint on the road and held the gap. 4th place. 3rd rider from CT so I got the Bronze. I wonder if a better start would have changed the outcome. Could I have been with the 3 leaders? Part of me says, maybe. Part of me say, I lined up the 4th best rider that day.

This year marks my 6th time promoting a cross race in Southington, CT. The link to the flyer is over at the left. I've tinkered with the course over the years and I've settle in to a pretty tough lap with 2 beach runs and a staircase run. There is also a good hill that a few can ride but most have to run. The picuture is me and others at the top of said hill.

I pride myself in being able to put on a race with NO barriers but still plenty of running. I was sick of people complaining about the rule that allowed for 4 dismounts but only one can be the traditional 'cross barriers. The rule has been changed to allow 2 sets of barriers. Ask people who have done my race if they felt like it wasn't a cross race because there were no barriers. A good time to ask might be just after they ran the beach and then had to run the stairs.

Please come out and enjoy the race and the great venue. YMCA Camp Sloper has been a great host. I can't imagine there is a venue out there that has helped a promoter more than Mark P. and his staff at Camp Sloper have help me and my crew.

Wade

Good race for me although less muddy conditions would have been better and a few more minutes of warm-up would have helped too. Ted!!, Matt, Thom and I lined up with guest rider Brian Cantele (gotta get him his clothes 'n helmet). A light rain had been falling all morning. I had a good start and was sitting in about 6th when we plowed through the ever growing puddle on the start-finish stretch and hit the first twists and turns - all starting to show signs of the rain and the previous race. Mud! I was behind Matt when he hit the deck for the 1st time on lap 1 - I was actually behind him for the 2nd one too a couple of laps latter. It is a fairly fast section, slightly downhill, slightly off camber, very wet. Matt was flying and then he sliding. Maybe I was too cautious but I only went down once on the Pittsfield signature off camber. It is been part of the race for years in one direction or the other. My rear wheel went right around and I went down. And like always when I crash in cross I hit my knee. A little painful but I could ride. I lost my place to Matt but since we were working together that was OK. Most of the race I was battling a guy from the Albany club. He was way faster in the technical bits but I would easily catch him on the riding sections or big run-up. With 2 to go, he got by me on "Matt's off-camber" and went flying down the big descent. I was like wow! he took that really fast - but then at the bottom he bit it big time. He looked down and out but he re-mounted. I pushed it to make sure he wouldn't catch. Matt and I were working pretty well and making up ground on two riders about 15 seconds ahead when he went down for the 3rd time. I thought I saw parts flying and it looked like he couldn't pedal any more and he went over. Seems he rolled one of the Tufo Clinchulars. I'll stick to the Tufo tubulars thank you. Although, he did crash twice before so that very well could have tweeked that front wheel and tire. So there I was alone in the world. I had Vollers coming back to me but the gap was a safe one. Brian Cantele is on a tear and won going away! Just wish I could get him those clothes. I was 5th (4th 35+ if that matters). No time for chit chat after the race as it really started to pour in the last lap. Thom and I were parked well away from everybody else - under the dry overhang of the school that is next to the race course. Hope they don't have video cameras in the lobby of that school pointing outside. Two bike racers droppin' trow and getting cleaned up after a cold wet muddy race. Yikes!