August 11, 2006, Masters Track Nationals, Points Race 50-54
Colorado Springs, CO
This was the third day of the 2006 Masters National Track Championships.
The points race is always up for grabs and I had hoped that I may have some luck.
Our race was 60 laps (20 km or about 12.5 mi) with a sprint every 5 laps.
Each sprint has points for the top four places of 5, 3, 2, 1.
If riders lap the main field, they get an additional 20 points (or the field may be given a negative 20 points).
Ties are broken by the placing on the final sprint.
The danger in a points race is to do a sprint that exhausts you just prior to a critical attack that allows riders to slip away and gain a lap.
However, there is almost always a break of some kind, so it is important to get points in the first third of the race before things get too chaotic.
The sprinters have an advantage for the points, but it's often the pursuiters that can grind away that can steal laps and pick up points in the process.
My plan was to watch the three strongest riders, Kent, Scott, and Jeffrey, to make sure they did not get away without me and I was sure that if anyone got away, these three would also be up there.
 |
 |
 |
| Lining up, Kent behind me. |
Early, watching Kent. |
Watching Scott. |
 |
 |
 |
| Kent leading, I'm watching Scott. |
Getting a point half way through. |
Struggling for points. |
I picked up a second place sprint on the second sprint for 3 points and felt pretty good.
I rested on the next sprint and only got a fifth on the next, which didn't get me any points.
Another rest sprint and then 1 point on a fourth place.
But soon after the three strong riders got a gap with another rider and I chased them down, dragging Smith along.
We caught them for a lead group of six and it would not take long for us to lap the field, giving them a negative 20 points.
I needed some more points to get any kind of decent placing, but I was starting to really struggle just to stay with the group.
I picked up a fifth and a fourth and then started to go for a good placing, but Jeffrey also was hungry for the same sprint and we bumped in the middle of the turn, scaring me down below the line.
Although I managed a meager fourth, I was relegated for going below the line and Jeffrey won the sprint for 5 points.
This turned out to be a critical sprint as Jeffrey and I were close for fifth and this put him quite a bit ahead of me.
I was able to push myself for a fourth on the penultimate lap and a third in the final, but it was too little too late, finishing sixth overall.
I think my lack of racing this season prevented me from digging deeper when things seemed to get tough, failing to realize that most everyone else was probably hurting just as badly.
|
Place |
Name |
Points |
Team |
| 1 |
Kent Bostick |
40 |
AMD Masters |
| 2 |
Scott Butler |
25 |
Bike Line/LWA |
| 3 |
James Host |
22 |
Illinois Bike Racing |
| 4 |
Gregory Smith |
18 |
DC Velo/Martens Volv |
| 5 |
Jeffrey Fillerup |
13 |
Webcor/Alto Velo |
| 6 |
Lionel Space |
7 |
Unattached |
| 7 |
David Tonello |
-16 |
Bike Barn Racing Tea |
| 8 |
Darell Provencher |
-18 |
Team Rose City |
| 9 |
William Lahman |
-19 |
SPIKE Masters Cycling |
| 10 |
Patrick McNamara |
-20 |
Northbrook/Garner |
| 11 |
Bruce Harick |
-20 |
Bianchi/Grandperform |
| 12 (DNF) |
Mark Chrysler |
0 |
|
| 12 (DNF) |
Richard Pearson |
-20 |
|
Summary
Start
Time |
Distance
(Miles) |
Starters |
Duration |
Weather
(Deg F, mph) |
Climbing
(Feet) |
Speed avg
(MPH) |
Speed Max
(MPH) |
HR avg
(BPM) |
HR max
(BPM) |
HR waking
(BPM) |
Calories Burned
(Kcal) |
| 4:28 pm |
13.2 |
13 |
31:44 |
85, light |
0 |
25.0 |
37.0 |
173 |
188 |
46 |
269 |
Link to USA Cycling story at http://www.usacycling.org/news/user/story.php?id=2475
Racing page Bike page
