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Race Result
| Racer: |
Richard Gendron |
| Race: |
Syn-Fit Criterium |
| Date: |
Saturday, April 18, 2009 |
| Location: |
Chantilly, VA |
| Race Type: |
Other - Other |
| Age Group: |
Male 40 - 44 |
| Overall Place: |
1 / 50 |
| Age Group Place: |
1 / 50 |
| Comment: |
First Win: Great Teamwork |
Race Report:
Today was one great day to Race. Whole Wheel Velo Club dominated every aspect of the CAT 4/5 35+ race. This was absolutely the most fun I’ve ever had on a bike.
Course is a two turn "D" - not even a pimple of a hill.
Here is a video of the race: Gets interesting at around 9:20 or so. (Our kits are Red with a black stripe.)
http://www.vimeo.com/4229285
Four of us were in the race together. Tom, Gus, recently converted triathlete Peter Warner and me. The four of us rolled around for a warm up before the race. Tom and Gus had watched breaks go in every race that day, and none of them stuck. Not one. The course is just too fast. Gus asked me "Rich, how's your sprint?". I said "good", so Gus told me "your job is to do no work, when the time comes, Tom will come and get you and you will sprint." OK ? Tom was more specific, he said to look for him with 8 laps to go.
The other three planned the lead-out to start at two laps to go. Gus sets the pace for up to a lap, dumping Pete off with 1 to go. Pete’s job was to carry the momentum into Turn one, turning the screws, and go from the bottom till he explodes. Tom would get on the backside into turn 2, taking Me to 200m then explode. The only breaks the other guys would try to stick would be those with 3+ other riders from strong teams initiating them.
So I spent most of the race stretching the definition of "no work". Gus got into a couple early moves, but nothing got more than 10-20 meters off the front. Then, Tom went off with an NCVC rider setting a good tempo. Tom settled into the rotation with NCVC guy and the first time through the S/F they rang a prime lap. Tom set a hard enough pace on the backside to hurt the NCVC guy and took the prime ($25).
I was getting a little nervous with 8 laps to go since I had "8 laps" warning in my head. I talked to Peter who took over for Tom and started moving me up the pack. Tom, seeing his break partner was failing, dialed back the pace and that ended the break fast. Once Tom found us I let Pete know we were back on
plan. Tom made it to one off Pete’s wheel with 3 laps to go, with a Colavita rider in between him and Pete.
Two to go, and Gus pulled through to the front setting a solid pace, hard enough to keep any attacks at bay - PERFECTLY. Tucked in behind Peter and Tom, I wasn't feeling it, but I noticed fewer and fewer guys around me. Gus nailed it then faded just before turn 2 of 2-to-go.
Now we were lined up with Pete, Colavita, Tom, then me followed by the rest. Pete turned the screws hard enough to pop Colavita guy, but Pete kept going. Tom and I had to call out to get Pete to let up a bit. Tom pulled through and got on Peter's wheel screaming "go, go!". I had serious doubts about my ability to hold onto these two guys, but it was clear we could win if we could hold it together. [The video shows that after Peter popped Colvita, he grabbed onto my wheel (at around 10:05 in the vid), which he later lost as well]. Half-way up the back stretch Pete gave it his all and then faded.
Tom jammed it hard. Just before the last turn I looked over my shoulder. The peleton was CARNAGE from the leadout. We had 5-10 meters, I’d guess, on the next rider. I was talking to Tom all the way. "Get me there Tom ... all the way ... through the corner". Tom took the turn then gave it that last bit of all he had to get through the first meters of the turn and get me back up to full speed. Tom gave me the yell just as I was thinking "now". It was all adrenalin and anaerobic pain from there until the finish. I was terrified of blowing the great leadout and set new :03 - :15 wattage records (I didn't really have to jump, since no one was on my wheel). Only 3 other guys were able to stay near us to take 2-4th, with Tom rolling in for fifth.
I am proud of our team, in awe of the abilities of my teammates and feeling very guilty about being the guy who got to win, since I think I did the least amount of work. Tom and Peter probably could have gone top ten all on there own, but
sacrificed their own results to guarantee a Team result.
For Power Geeks:
Here is my "no work" section, I had to hit an 1153w max cause of a little tussle in front of me that could have ended up in a wreck, but did not. I shifted out of the pack and had to kick it to get tucked in again.
Duration: 40:54
Norm Power: 195
VI: 1.11
Distance: 17.039 mi
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 1153 176 watts
Heart Rate: 135 173 158 bpm
Cadence: 43 141 91 rpm
Speed: 16.5 31.1 25.0 mph
And, holding on to Tom's wheel and sprinting
Finish:
Duration: 7:31
Norm Power: 307
VI: 1.18
Distance: 3.4 mi
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 1074 260 watts
Heart Rate: 164 192 176 bpm
Cadence: 56 141 100 rpm
Speed: 13.2 34.8 27.2 mph
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