The Driveway 7/23/2009 - Pulling Back to Break
Fantastic night at The Driveway tonite. Willis dialed up a schitzophrenic crit tonite my friends, part long straight hammerfest and part twisted off camber tech monster. The combination was explosive with great racing in all 5 contests of the evening.
Before the 3/4 start all the 4/5 guys planted themselves at the top of the riser to watch how the virgin 200 degree righty was going to play out. Much tamer than expected, at least in the early laps. A couple of breaks went off, the longest including San Jose’s own Jonathon Perry, all were covered until, AT&T’s Jason Lewiss made a run w/ 2 to go and got a nice big gap. A single rider jumped to bridge w/ 1 to go but was swept up on the frontside downhill on the last lap. Jason finished with a softpedal last 50 meters to an easy win, made even more meaningful as two more at&ters took the next two spots in the sprint for an all at&t podium. Damn !
My race was super fun. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel as work was awful today (one conference call after another – the kind you can’t hit mute and go to the fridge cause you’re actually an important part of the conversation…you know) and I was only able to eat once (oatmeal) at about 11:00 AM. NICE ! Oatmeal, a multi vitamin, fish oil and glucosimine at 11. That’s keeping it together. At 4:00 PM I forced down a peanut butter Cliff Bar and drank a full bottle of water warming up. I was still worried I wasn’t fueled up enough…cause obviously I wasn’t…why worry, just race.
Slotted in about 8th at the start and just rode the first two laps (the 1st of which was single file toward the front) in realtive ease. My HR was about 161. Riding was sketchy as usual with guys jerking all over the place. I’ve become pretty vocal in the pack, not nasty but trying to keep folks on-line and in-line. So, as usual, a bit a battle of nerves as well as physical. Had the usual ups and downs, getting pinched inside behind a guy that roared out of the bottom turn, then hit the wall 100 yards in and everyone rolled by to the left. I had to sit behind and wait for a gap. My strength, HOWEVER, is the uphill S. I can get from mid-pack to front 15 everytime up that chicane. Gear down and spin up it at speed while many seem to try and grind up it. It works if I find a slot, it doesn’t when it’s crowded and I have to hit the breaks half way up. Tonite I thought I had it dialed in pretty well. Well enough that at about 18min. I came out of the two turns in about 8th moving past about 10 riders, but with no one in front of me. It was 20 meters to the front 7, who had just pounded out of the turn. So I had to hammer it down the hill way too long and then rolled back into the 7 way too fast with a big burnt match. That is where I need to learn to have basic common sense and discipline and pace back to the front, not go bananas and blow-up rolling back into the group 5 mph faster than everyone else. What a waste. Looked down at this point, 180 on the HR (damn).
7/23/09 - The Driveway - Cat 4/5 3 to go.
Thought I’d rest on the way back and did get a breather by spinning out of the bottom turn with pretty nice acceleration and sticking on a wheel so that I could sit up w/ the pack (172 bpm). I did not know where we were lap-wise, no idea (but did see we were at about 27 minutes) and I heard the bell. Things got crazy pretty quick with the sketchyist ride thru the turns at the top, guys in the grass, guys rolling over the bumps, guys hitting the breaks hard and guys standing to stomp all at once. Had to get out of the saddle to stick on the downhill (181 bpm). I was about 15-20 into the turn I think and decided I would just go ahead and die on the bike like Tom Simpson since I was alreay at threshold. Ducked my head and stood in the biggest gear I could find (not sure which one), only to hear to shouting, alot of shouting.
Seems a gaggle of young racing felines were soft peddling dead center in the middle of the drag race finish. Let me 1st explain this finish, it was unique. Knowing that it would be a drag race out of the bottom turn, everyone spread out on the turn and tried to get to the front, leaving a 10 across front line on the drag strip (with 6 softpeddling ladies in the path). It was just as crowded in rows 2 and 3 (where I was). Everyone was yelling for them to move….bad idea… which way were they going to move. Fortunately for everyone they were smart enought to stay right where they were as the pack roared by on both sides. Not so fortunate for me and the others stuck dead center behind them. I sat and looked back for a place to go when the guy in front of me jumped into a very small gap to the left and went, though he was leaping away from me, I jumped in his gap and got by the ladies on the left (191 bpm). I was in the second 20 but determined to die to the line, didn’t get passed by the back packers and passed quite a few soft-peddlers who weren’t stupid enough to sprint for 18thish like me. Best part is coming.
Climbed up the S and wobbled off my bike, seeing some stars and thinking I’m hammered, loopy, lightheaded and staggering, I hope no one is noticing. Didn’t have to worry about that , cause right at that moment a guy behind me barfed all over the track……and kept hurling until finally someone brought over a trash can for him. Let’s just say it wasn’t any secret that the guy had spagetti for lunch. Just want to thank that guy for taking the spotlight at my vulnerable moment. NO ONE spied me zigzagging to the water jugs.
1/2/3 was, as usual, crazy fast. Breaks off the front, brought back, more breaks , more brought back. If I remember correctly it was Super Squadra (Wikoff), Korioth and Benz in the final break. Benz and Wikoff dropped Korioth on the backside and Wikoff took Benz and Wheeler bridged to run down Korioth for third. For Eric, no worries. He hopped right back on his bike and crossed first in a super hard masters race. Looks like Mr. Benz is peaking just in time for his favorite event.
Another great (and actually cool {95 degrees}) night at The Driveway. Thanks again Holland Racing. Ah…say good night Gracie!
