Last Bethel Critand First Pro Race

After getting canceled the first week due to snow in the forecast, the last week of the Bethel Spring Series had the best weather of the weekend.  According to some excellent pre-race analysis, there were about 11 racers that could get on the podium for the overall if they won this race.  Since I was using this series more as training/learning than placing (and had only broken the top 20 once), I decided to do what I could to help one of my friends - SDC, who was in contention - win the race.

Added bonus was that SDC had recruited a few other helpers, including friend Guido (oftimes mentioned here) and a couple new guys I just met before the race, including MikeA.  Hard as it was to work at their level (I'm not really known for doing long pulls at the front, not because I don't want to, but I just can't), it was a blast working with them for a common goal.  For a great play-by-play of how the race unfolded from SDC's perspective (who always seems to see much more in the race than I do), be sure to check out his site by clicking here.

What follows here is a less dramatic, but just as painful, account of how it looked from the perspective of a domestique-by-choice.

 

Here's the lineup.  Two things are true for all these pics: 1) you can click on them for a larger view (to see the funny, grimacing faces if nothing else); and 2) they were taken by the blog's official photog, Mrs. SOC).

Lot of Adler and Bethel guys at the front.  A familiar site.  Bethel had the series leader, Stephen Gray, in the leader's jersey, and Adler was gunning for team prize with their strong team of TT racers.

 

Apparently, Adler's strategy was to keep the pace high and to launch guys off the front.  Which they did over  and over.  Right from the whistle, the pace was very high.  Here we are stretched out after the first corner.  Adler, followed by Bethel, followed by Adler, followed by ?, followed by the yellow jersey.

Our job, as domestiques, was to keep the race together by chasing attacks, sitting on breaks, and pulling at the front to close any gaps.  The pace during the first bunch of laps frankly took me by surprise and I had a heck of a time working my way to the front where I could help.

  

Mike got into a break at one point, but must not have given much to it since it - like all the breaks - eventually came back.  It was VERY windy on the back stretch, so we had that working in our favor.  But we were also working against some much larger teams that had reserves/pawns they could send up the road.

Other than being able to work for a (cobbled-together) team, the coolest experience was being at the front of the race enough to see some of the tactics play out.  A lot of it was textbook stuff, so nothing fancy (at least that I could tell), but unlike the lower categories whenever an attacker got reeled in, a teammate would counter-attack.  If a break got up the road with Team A in it, Teammates A would sit at the front controlling the pace and jumping on any attackers/bridgers.

 

I should say "try to control the pace" since the Bethel Cycle team was working to keep things together for their leader and our quasi team was trying to keep it together for our guy.  I'm not often at the front of the pack, especially with such a headwind.  I have a good sprint, but I don't pretend to be strong for long efforts.  So the pic above is especially cool since it shows I can do it, at least occasionally!

Oh, big surprise there.  We're chasing another Adler guy.

 

In another rare display, I was afraid the final prime would launch a couple guys far enough away to where we wouldn't be able to reel them back in.  So, while I knew I didn't really have any chance at winning the prime, I did what I could to keep them close.  Two guys above going for the line with the rest of the pack coming up the hill (and me on the far left side) . . .

 

and me hitting the line 3rd in the prime (which only pays the winner).  Guido coming up strong in the background by the curb.

It was another fun race, made all the more enjoyable for the teamwork.  But at least as important to me, was it was another *safe* race.  The average speed was over 26 mph and were were all very close - actually had a guy's hip lean into my elbow going up the climb one lap - but I never saw any real sketchiness.  Unlike some other races I've been in, I had confidence in the other racers' abilities and didn't give crashing much of a thought, despite the high speed and close quarters.  And that makes racing a LOT more fun - and means a lot fewer pre-race jitters.  I can just enjoy racing.

After all the work, we were all together near the finish.  Well, almost.  One Adler guy had gotten away and was time-trialing it to the finish.  Amazing.  But some coveted points were available in the field sprint.

Final result: Teammate-for-the-day SDC got second in the field sprint (missing second overall by inches), got third overall, and third in the series.  Considering all the work he puts into operating the races, and he's been sick too, I think that's truly impressive.  The fact that I had a small role to play - and got to do so with some other cool teammates-for-the-day - was gravy.

Here's the video of the finish, with apologies for less-than-usual quality.  The battery was going dead.

After all that fun and madness, you'd think I'd had enough.  But I wasn't done for the day - I decided to jump in and try my first Pro1/2/3 race.

 

There I am at the front.  Only time I'd see the front for this race.  Lining up again, minutes after finishing the 3/4s.

Why?

Why not?

Actually, I have some Masters races in my future and wanted to see how I'd stack up, with tired legs.  And I wanted to see how long I could last.  It was a 34 lap race (I'd just finished 30 laps) and I figured I'd last, oh, five laps.

After a few laps in, although the pro race actually started at a slower pace than the 3/4s, it ramped up quickly and strung out fast.  You couldn't move up without getting in the wind.  And if you (I) got in the wind, you weren't moving up, you were moving backwards.

So I did my best to sit in and hang on.  And the laps began counting down...

At 20 laps to go, I'd already been in almost 3 times as long as I'd expected.  I had (foolish) notions of actually finishing.

At 15 laps to go, I realized how stupid a notion finishing was - I'd just try to hang on for another lap or two.  I actually lasted longer than our camera battery - it died soon after the race started, thus no more pics.

One of the funny things about racing, it's a tempting seductress.  And she sucks you in - to your doom if you're not careful.  Each time I crested the hill and told myself "just one more lap", she toyed with me by allowing me to recover just enough to barely make it up the hill again.

We did this little dance for a few more laps, when I finally realized what she was doing and I called time.  Sure, I might have been able to stay in a little longer, but at what cost?

But I didn't realize how close I was.  I didn't realize until I got home and checked my Garmin that I'd done 27 laps.  I'd bailed with only 7 laps to go.  I went from feeling smug about rejecting the race's propositions to me, to vowing that - next time - I'd show her who's boss and at least finish.

Or totally blow up trying, and have her leave me used up and whimpering on the curb.

So, it was another great day of racing: beautiful weather, great friends, safe racing, and a fantastic series.  The time with friends afterwards - which had become a quick tradition at the Bethel Spring Series (and this time included pizza and ice cream!) -  if not the main reason to race this series -was certainly one of its biggest highlights.

I can't wait for next year.

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And, just to keep the spirit alive until then, check this out - from here.

Comments

[Kim]

Nice job at the races. I love your description of the pro1/2/3 race. I know those feelings well! I could have written it myself about a race or two I've done -- but it wouldn't have come out nearly as eloquent.

[aki]

You guys really rocked at the front. I think that without all your help the field would have been totally blown apart. What a great race though. Thankfully you can't hear me on the finish line clip :)

[Katherine]

Holy cow. I'm proud of you for doing the pro race, even though I think you're crazy! But if you're doing a pro race on tired legs, imagine doing one on fresh legs?

I'm going out this weekend to *watch* my first crit (there aren't many local ones) and see first hand what it's all about. Someday I'll graduate to "hanging on" to the women's 4s.

[Dorothy W.]

I'm sorry the series is over! It was great seeing you and Debby, and I'm looking forward to more days at races this summer.