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Race Result

Racer: Richard Gendron
Race: Tysons Corner Circuit Race
Date: Sunday, April 5, 2009
Location: McLean, VA
Race Type: Bike - Other
Age Group: Male 40 - 44
Comment: Sketchy Race - Big Mistake



Race Report:



Tyson’s Corner is a tough race for me. It's a 1.1 mile, three turn loop. Turn 1 to turn 2 is basically flat, turn 2 to turn 3 has a 35mph descent, turn 3 to turn 1 is a big ring climb that gets harder as you go up to Turn 1. That also means it's an uphill sprint.

Strategy is pretty easy for this one - get really well warmed up, and don't let gaps open up during the uphill. If you let a gap open up the hill, you have to work on the flat and downhill while everyone in front of you recovers. I was not feeling that good before the race. I changed my training and went one extra week on my normal 3 week cycle to get to this race. Also set some new short (less than 30 secs) max power bogeys on Wednesday and Friday - so I was not rested.

I got a good solid 30 warm up on the rollers with a hard 5 min effort, then did three laps of the course for another 10 minutes. I was good and warm. If last year's pattern held, I would start feeling good about mid race.

Right off the bat, the pattern started. For me it was about 1:00 @ 380-400w followed by 1:30 @ 120-150w. Challenge was to hold it for 23 or so laps. The field was a bit sketchy. It must have been a first race of the season for alot of the guys. Very wobbly in the turns - and these were easy turns.

On lap 3, as we got to the bottom of the descent, the peleton contacted, but was still moving at about 25-30mph. To my immediate left, I saw a biker wobble, then scream. It appeared to me that his front wheel just collapsed underneath him, back wheel flew up in the air. From my angle, he appeared to face plant, scorpion, then spring over. We kept moving, but on the next lap around they neutralized the field. I did see the EMT talking to the guy (on his back)so I'm guessing he was conscious. We just sat there for 20 minutes, getting stiff. I think the poor guy got his wheel stuck in a crack between the gutter and the pavement.

Right around noon they started us again and said we would go until 12:30. The race started back really anaerobic. I was averaging 1min @ 395w on the next two climbs. On the third lap, the pressure eased a bit, and the officials rang a prime. I worked my way to the front and decided to see who was what for the sprint. I was positioned about 5th at the bottom of the hill when Bike Rack launched their guy off the front. I thought Coppi was going to chase, so I hesitated. After a few seconds of no move, I went after Bike Rack guy. I got a decent jump and started to close, but he had good 50 meters on me. I kept some pressure on, but basically gave up the prime and rolled over in second, let the pack catch me and tried to tuck in for some recovery. I was doing fine after two laps (though I could only avg 1min @ 350 and 355), but then another prime rang and the pace got hot again. I made the next two climbs (4 and 3 laps to go) but was losing ground each time and was having to work on the flats to stay attached. I dropped on the flat with 2.75 laps to go.

I dropped into time trial mode and slowly ramped back up the speed. I finished about a minute after the peleton - very frustrated with my own stupidity.

As I came up to the finish line there had been a wreck in the final sprint. Matt Braughler was down - seemed OK, but was a bit confused. One other looked more serious - from Bike Doctor I think. It was mid pack. At Tysons, as the lead out men get shelled, they pass back though the pack pretty quickly. I'm guessing something happened as the pack was barreling to the finish. So maybe a good thing that I dropped.

Here is the sprint that undid me:

Peak 30s (632 watts):
Duration: 0:30
Work: 19 kJ
TSS: 5.6 (intensity factor 2.581)
Pw:HR: 10.59%
Pa:HR: -3.78%
Distance: 0.204 mi
Min Max Avg
Power: 362 975 632 watts
Heart Rate: 159 179 168 bpm
Cadence: 81 120 101 rpm
Speed: 16.8 27.2 24.4 mph
Pace 2:13 3:34 2:27 min/mi
Hub Torque: 97 296 172 lb-in
Crank Torque: 255 836 536 lb-in




Race, part 1:
Duration: 8:11
Work: 101 kJ
TSS: 17.1 (intensity factor 1.119)
Norm Power: 274
VI: 1.33
Pw:HR: -11.99%
Pa:HR: 8.21%
Distance: 3.285 mi
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 936 206 watts
Heart Rate: 142 175 163 bpm
Cadence: 44 141 94 rpm
Speed: 2.4 36 24.0 mph
Pace 1:40 24:46 2:30 min/mi
Hub Torque: 0 383 66 lb-in
Crank Torque: 0 1054 189 lb-in


Race, part 2:
Duration: 30:22
Work: 399 kJ
TSS: 70.5 (intensity factor 1.18)
Norm Power: 289
VI: 1.32
Pw:HR: -1.84%
Pa:HR: 13.58%
Distance: 12.026 mi
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 975 219 watts
Heart Rate: 144 181 164 bpm
Cadence: 38 141 89 rpm
Speed: 11.6 39.8 23.8 mph
Pace 1:30 5:10 2:31 min/mi
Hub Torque: 0 296 71 lb-in
Crank Torque: 0 836 211 lb-in



Next year's prep for this race will be intense, 1:00 intervals and 1:30 recoveries, repeat 25 times. Start in February. Do 1:00 work intervals at Tradezon