February 15, 2014, Sun Devil Criterium, Category Masters 60+
Tempe, AZ 12.0 miles
Report from Lionel Space, Phoenix AZ
Many thanks to Noel Space for the photography.
(Images can be clicked on for a larger version)
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 during mid-week was in the 70s, but we were racing in the mid-80s in clear and calm conditions.
We would be riding the race on the course as the 50-59 race which would start about 15 seconds before us.
Our group would start with 13 riders, where David Bixby of Team RPM would be the main competitor to watch.
I was not at the front at the start line and Bixby wound it up pretty quickly, giving us a 27.2 mph first lap and then James Browning made a soft move off the front.
I made sure the pack maintained contact with him and we settled down.
The next two laps were pretty tame at about 23 mph, but then Joe Puchi of Team RPM attacked solo and David ensured he was not immediately chased.
James Browning of Faster picked up the speed and we were together again, but then James made a mild attack off the front and Bixby let him also get a gap, forcing me to bring him back in.
Joe took off again and David made sure he got a real good gap.
We got a prime sprint announcement for the first of our 2 primes and Joe had over 20 seconds on us.
I made an attempt to bring the pack up to speed to close the gap, but nobody would take over my lead when I swung over.
So I went full blast to see if I could snatch the prime from Joe, but came up a few lengths short, hitting 32.2 mph in the process.
Sensing I may be weakened, Bixby attacked and I immediately got on his wheel.
Starting lineup.
End of Lap 1, Browning off the front.
Lap 2, keeping it together.
Lap 5, still together.
Lap 9, chasing Puchi.
Lap 12, the 50+ pack just lapped us for the first time about half way through the race.
We settled back down again, and then Browning gave it another go.
With nobody else willing to reel him in, I brought us up to over 31 mph and closed down the gap.
Joe took off again and got another good gap with David's help.
He normally is not a strong time trialist, but if the speed of the pack can be held back, he seems to have the strength to make an escape a possibility.
We were given our second prime at the same time they announced 5 to go and I attempted to chase down Joe to try to get that prime as well,
but even though hitting 33.3 mph in the process, I timed it too late and Joe got the second prime as well.
However, I did succeed in eliminating the gap.
Puchi allowed to escape again.
Passing lapped riders while chasing Puchi.
Bixby trying an attack.
My parents watching the action.
This was a big expenditure of energy as we were given the 4 lap to go board and I had to start being more conservative.
In a good move, David went on the attack again, which I was able to control.
He led a good portion of the lap, I imagine to try to tire me out, and the lead was taken by Browning when he pulled over.
We crossed the line with 3 to go with Browning leading, with myself and Bixby following.
On the back stretch I pulled out of the line to look carefully behind to see that there were only 6 of us remaining in the lead group, then immediately joined back into my slot near the front.
4 to go, just missing catching Puchi.
3 to go on the board.
Browning led the next lap and instead of getting 2 to go, were were given a 1 to go board, with the announcer yelling "one to go", but not giving a bell to go with it.
Bixby asked me "Isn't that supposed to be 2 to go?" and I replied, "Yeah, but it's one to go now, so this is the final lap.".
Browning continued to lead us through the back stretch, with me following and keeping an eye behind on Bixby.
As we started approaching the final turn, Browning was several yards out from the curb and I knew I had lots of room to jump through on the inside.
Just then, Bixby got out of the saddle to come around on the outside, so I immediately jumped to the inside to keep ahead of him before the final turn.
Just then the pack of 50-59 riders that already had more momentum, came flying by us on our left and yelling at us "We're the 50 group, stay out".
Well there's no way I was not going to sprint in my race just because they are in the way, so I find a bit of a hole in their line so that I can take the final corner a bit more safely.
I have to really slow down for the corner as I'm forced to stay very far on the inside, rather than take the fastest line and
I then stay as far to the inside as I can down the final stretch to avoid mixing with the 50 race and risk getting disqualified.
I then give it as much speed as I can, only hitting 33.4 mph, not knowing if any of the other riders around me are 60+ riders or just 50-59 riders,
so after crossing the line I don't know for sure if I won and I certainly can not raise my arms in victory in the tight crowd.
Approaching what was supposed
to be 2 to go.
Less than 1 to go.
50+ and 60+ Merged finishing sprint.
Finishing sprint.
Since I also didn't know if the officials didn't realize that they had given us a 1 to go when they may have intended to give us a 2 to go,
I kept my speed up for the next lap to ensure that I'm ahead of everyone on that lap as well.
It was about a half hour later that somebody in the club that was putting on the race and had seen the results, confirmed that I won.
It takes over 2 hours before they post the results of our race showing that Bixby got second.
From the photos he was apparently about 6 lengths behind me.
After the race, Browning said that he had planned an attack for 2 to go, but we never got a 2 to go.
Bixby said he had one more attack in him and was going to do it with 1 to go, but it was too late by the time he realized we had less than a lap to go.
So the poor change by the officials created problems with tactics and certainly interfered with our ability to sprint against each other.
If they had kept to the original lap board count down, the 50-59 race would have stormed by us and pulled out of our way and
we could have had a cleaner finish to our race.
Everyone I spoke with in our race agreed that eliminating the lap was not the right thing to do.
I'm sure the 50-59 racers didn't like us having to mix in with them in their sprint either.
Since we were two independent races on the course at the same time, I could not see a justification for altering our race
because of the circumstances of another race proceeding at the same time and not racing together.
Talking with the officials afterward, they still thought they made the right decision.
Extra lap after finish.
Podium.
Summary
Start
Time |
Distance
(Miles) |
Starters |
Duration |
Weather
(Deg F, mph) |
Speed avg
(MPH) |
Speed Max
(MPH) |
| 1:34 pm |
12.0 |
13 |
29:28 |
86, Calm |
24.7 |
33.4 |
Results
Racing page Bike page
