Racing Report

February 25, 2007, Sun Devil Criterium, Category Masters 50+
Tempe, AZ 13.8 miles

This was a flat, 35 minute criterium on very smooth roads. The course was a 1/2 mile, somewhat roundish course with 2 ninety degree turns, the last one 230 meters from the finish. The corners were pretty safe and the roads generally very wide. The weather was great, 70 degrees, sunny and basically no wind.

I knew beforehand that this was not going to be an easy race. As predicted, Team RPM had four strong riders and they would be using their numbers to gang up on me; their plan is to have anyone on the team win, while I'm playing a solo game. I also expected that no one else would assist me out of the 10 starters, as this was the case last year. At least this year I would not be coming off of an illness, so I'd be at proper strength to try to take them on.

Norm Kibble, Team RPM, would also be participating and he is one of the best sprinters in the state. Previous years he had sat on my wheel in the final sprint, so my hope was to be able to ride his wheel this time. The tricky part of this plan is that if any other Team RPM rider jumps away, Norm will let him go and win the race, so everything would have to fall into place just right.


Lionel at the start.	Norm Kibble planning.	Andy Cifrino.	Bruno Jaremko, David Bixby, Glenn Eyler.

I took the first corner first to get things moving. Then immediately the first Team RPM attack started. Andy Cifrino, Team RPM, made a strong jump and no one reacted. I couldn't let him get more than 3 or 4 bike lengths and I jumped up to him, which of course resulted in his immediate easing off and everyone else catching up. We got around the second corner and Glenn Eyler, Team RPM, also did an attack, and of course required me to close the gap, at which time he eased up. David Bixby, Team RPM, would be next, requiring me to chase him down. He went a bit longer, maybe thinking that he still had a bit of a lead, but then soon eased up and we were all together again. Norm Kibble, Team RPM, would go off the front, but I just let him go. I was pretty sure that he would not be able to stay out front alone for the entire race, so as long as he didn't get too far out, I was confident that I could reel him in. He wouldn't fly off the front, but just get out there hoping I would waste energy to do a jump up to him. We soon brought him back in and Andy was attacking solo again, which required an immediate reaction from me.


Glenn (on right) attacking at the end of lap one, me reacting to second attack.	David taking a prime.	Watching David after prime while on Andy's wheel.

OK, so you get the idea. This would go on for half an hour. They did a total of 24 attacks that I had to close with basically no assistance over the 23 laps we covered. Andy would do most of the attacks. Norm would usually just rest in the pack, saving his energy for the finish. David, being their next best sprinter, would swallow up the primes. Occasionally I'd let Glenn sit out front after his attack, as he was not as great a risk and if I could just let him float off the front, then no other Team RPM rider would attack him. My job was energy management, keeping anyone from getting away solo and still trying to have something left for the finish. If I were to take a prime, you'd bet that a Team RPM rider would immediately attack while I was tired, so no primes for me. I didn't have to worry about any non-Team RPM rider attacking as Team RPM would certainly reel them in immediately; however there were very few of these. If I were to try to attack with another rider, the four man Team RPM would power back up to us.


7 minutes into the race, watching after 5th attack.	18 minutes, Andy attacks, everyone watching me react.	Everyone watching me after an attack, Norm resting at back (left).


19 minutes, Andy and David looking weary.	Next lap, Glenn attacks, Andy blocking.	Next lap, Andy attacks.	Chasing Andy again.


23 minutes into the race, I didn't realize how tired the others looked.	David takes another prime at 25 minutes, Norm falls off the back.	Andy attacks at 27 minutes, I'm chasing.

With two laps to go things settled down a bit. I had to constantly watch for a late attack and at the same time try to position myself for the finish. I was able to get on Norm's wheel, who was behind David and as long as he didn't leave a big gap to allow David to pull away, this would be good. My plan was to follow Norm around the final corner and then with a late jump, try to beat him to the line.


29 minutes, keeping an eye on Andy after a prime.	Glenn takes a flyer with 1 lap to go.	I stick to Norm's wheel, in 6th position.

With one lap to go Glenn jumped off the front. Being not as fast as the other riders, I was calculating the we would sweep him up before the finish. He didn't get far out and there was a bit of a surge in the middle of the back stretch which brought him back in. Then just before the final turn, I was in about 7th or 8th, a bit of a concern, but still on Norm's wheel. A few non-Team RPM riders made a strong jump before the corner and Norm did a strong surge to keep them within reach. This was perfect, as I was able to follow Norm and he'd pull me past most of the other riders. I was about fourth or fifth around the corner and probably made my only mistake of the race, but a critical one. The finish was slightly downhill and downwind, so there would be not much time from the corner to the line. I coasted around the corner, where I should have accelerated to close up a bit tighter to Norm. We were passing riders through the corner and two years ago in the Cat 4 race I got squeezed into the outside curve and had to brake hard and I was paying caution to that possibility rather than going full speed into the sprint. After we straightened out after the turn, Norm turned on the sprint and I had it in my 53 x 13, but was about 1.5 lengths off his wheel. I gave a strong effort, but I didn't feel like I was sprinting (lacking power) and I was not closing up on him as fast as I needed to. All the previous interval work chasing down the attacks had a bit of an impact on me and although I hit 36.0 mph, it wasn't enough to come around Norm and I finished about a length off his wheel. Norm had chased down another rider, Steve Cullinan, who had never been a threat in previous races and apparently had jumped off the front prior to the turn, and nipped him at the line, so I ended up third.


Final sprint, Steve leading, Norm coming up, me trying to get Norm.	Norm getting close, I'm trying to close it.	Norm's bike throw gets him the win, I come up short.

I'll admit Norm is a good sprinter and hard to beat, but even harder to beat when he's had a half hour warm up ride during the time that I was doing 24 sprints. So again, Team RPM won, but it was a challenge that would have been very rewarding if I could have overcome the odds.

This year we averaged 24.3 mph, better than last year's 20.9, but slower than the 24.7 of the previous year.

Many thanks to Noel for the great photos, despite a cast on her left arm.

***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)
12:50 pm	13.8	10	34:10	70, S@4	39	24.3	36.0	170	186	46	302

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