February 7, 2010, McDowell Park CR, Category Masters 50+
NE of Phoenix, AZ 16.0 miles
(Most images can be clicked on for a larger version)
Many thanks to Mike and Lisa Kolin for the photography and video.
This was a circuit race NE of Phoenix on a 1.6 mile course in a park.
I've usually done well on this course and have won twice previously.
The weather was a little uncertain as we drove through strong rain showers on the way to the race, but the sun was shining by the time we started, although there were still muddy streaks on the road to make a bit of a mess.
It was only 53 degrees when we started at 9:30.
For some reason they extended our usual 30 minute race to 45 minutes, which was also longer than the other 4 Masters races that day.
There would be four prime sprints during our 10 laps.
There were 24 50+ riders at the start of the race, plus a few 60+ and 70+ riders that would be starting about half a minute after us.
Team RPM was the sponsor of the race and they would be utilizing their team strength with their 7 riders.
Since the race was a bit long for me, I did a very minimal warm up and did not set the pace at the start.
The first lap was our slowest, averaging only 21.5 mph, which was fine by me.
My goal was to keep everyone together and try to take the sprint finish.
The race continued at a fairly relaxed pace and the primes did not generate any major damage.
I would stay near the front during those sprints just to keep any breakaways in check, but the prime sprinters usually eased up and rejoined the pack.
However, prime sprints can really disrupt the tactics of the race, which makes it harder for me to predict.
After a relatively easy ride, they announced the last prime with 3 laps to go.
Two riders contested the sprint at two laps to go and continued their effort after the line and the pack was not wanting to chase.
The gap began to open to a dangerous margin.
Team RPM was sitting back, watching what I was going to do.
I did not want to make the mistake of last week in pulling the entire pack up to the break just to be left exhausted and especially so close to the end.
But at the same time I could not let two riders take the honors due to apathy in the pack.
Perhaps I should have just been patient, but I thought I might try something else.
I began to move up towards the front as we approached the back corner, but I also noticed that Bob Pongratz of Team RPM was keeping a close eye on me as well.
Right after the corner I gave a full out effort, hoping to lose the bunch and bridge the gap to the two leaders.
I caught them pretty quickly, too quickly in fact, and Bob was soon right behind me, and he had pretty much brought everyone else along as well.
So although we were now grouped together, I had expended a big effort that I really did not want to exhaust so close to the finish.
But we still had about 6 minutes until the finish, so hopefully I'd be fully recovered by then.
I settled in, choosing to sit on Bob's wheel for the rest of the race.
He had won the sprint the week before and had proven to be a good sprinter in previous Master's races;
plus, this was his first year in the 50+ category.
Nobody made any courageous attacks after the line and we all started to ramp it up a bit after the back turn in anticipation of the final turn and sprint.
The back stretch preceding the turn is slightly uphill, but not of such a gradient that it is really a grind, just enough to cause everything to go a little slower.
Bob had placed himself about mid-pack which was a bit disconcerting to me and things can get really bunched up as riders approach the last turn.
Often riders get pushed off the road on the outside both before and after the turn on the final lap and this was going to make things tricky to get into optimal position.
But as we got very close to the turn, Bob started to move up on the outside and I had no problem finding room to follow him and this left me in an ideal spot:
on Bob's wheel in fourth position through the turn and third just after the turn and on the outside where I wouldn't get boxed in.
It's about 400 meters from that corner to the finish and the course is narrow, twisty, and some slightly rolling hills, making it impossible to see the line until the last 150 meters; plus it is slightly downhill.
I've lost here before by waiting too long and had been successful by starting my sprint early and had previously picked a landmark that should do the trick.
If instead Bob went first, I was in a prime position to let him lead me out and come around him at the end.
So as we hit my spot, I gave a good jump from behind and immediately passed everyone on the left.
Since the road curves to the right, I swung to the right side of the road to decrease the total distance and make it harder for those behind to get a good position on my wheel.
We rounded the last turn and I could see the banner for the finish and was going strong, but then began to fade in the last 100 meters.
Bob was able to storm by me and drag three other riders with him to put me into fifth.
I'm assuming that the effort with 1.5 laps to go took more out of me than I had anticipated.
A better tactic would probably have been to excite the other riders into starting the sprint early and trying to come around Bob just at the end.
He's a pretty good sprinter though, so that may have only given me a second.
I'm still working on getting a stronger sprint, a faster sprint, and a longer sprint.
Only time will tell if I'm able to achieve those goals.
Summary
Start
Time |
Distance
(Miles) |
Starters |
Duration |
Weather
(Deg F, mph) |
Speed avg
(MPH) |
Speed Max
(MPH) |
HR avg
(BPM) |
HR max
(BPM) |
Calories Burned
(Kcal) |
| 9:30 am |
16.0 |
24 |
42:00 |
53, Calm, Sunny |
22.8 |
33.4 |
159 |
186 |
471 |
Results
Racing page Bike page
