Race: Pescadero Costal Classic RR

Date: Saturday, 6/18/11

Category: M45+ Cat 4

Finishing Place: 30/75

Other Team mates in race: Chris M

92 guys were registered for the M45+4 race, the largest group, but only 75 started.  On the Promenade out through town, we almost had a few mishaps due to the pace motorcycle having to slow quickly.   The first Preem was just a few hunderd meters after the official start, so quick that most of us didn’t notice it.  The Stage 1 climb was not to bad and I didn’t have any problem staying in the main group, decent, then climb up Stage 2, things and riders were already getting shelled off the back so the pace was quite hard.  I had to sprint over the crest to try and maintain contact with the main group.  Going hard on the decent, we caught the tail end of the main pack at Hwy 84.  At that point, I think we had already lost about 25 – 30 riders.  I always felt like I was the last guy.  Heading up 84, the pace was fast but i was able to move up into the front 15 and maintain position.  Apparently it was really squirrely at the back.

Turning right  up the feed zone and then up Haskins, I was climbing well, but about halfway up, a gap opened AGAIN, and I crested the top with about a 15s gap to the back of the main group.  At this point I think there were only about 40 guys left from the front to me.  I had to chase like mad for the next 10 miles to the coast.  Fortunately, there were a few other chasers I joined up with.  We caught the pack just a mile before the right turn onto Stage Road.

Each climb up Stage 1 and Stage 2 ended up with me being gapped by just 10s or so, but I had give it everything to catch the pack on the decent.  On Hwy 84 the main group was about 15s up and I was with two M35+4 riders who were not willing to work with me much so I had to just put my head down and time trial for 3 miles to catch the pack.  Almost as soon as I caught the main group, 5 guys broke away from the front and built up a 15s gap on the main field.  At this point there were only about 30 total riders left.  The three dominant teams, PenVelo, Taleo, Body Concepts each had a rider in the break of 5 so they were trying to sit on the front to protect the gap.  I joined up with my friend Harold of Webcore to try and bridge the gap, but we only made it half way and the others just sat onl our wheels.  The race pretty much ended up like this.  When we hit Haskins again, I was wasted and knew I didn’t have anything for the climb so I just went to efficiency mode and crossed the line about 70s behind the main pack, the last one again!

Even though I got gapped 4 times and had to chase, this was by far my best effort this season.  The course was a blast and my form is improving.  If I could ever loose those 5 pounds and not have to expend so much energy chasing, I might be able to contest some of the finishes in future.