BATTENKILL - Road race 4/18/09

BATTENKILL - 4/18/09

Friday the Day before the race - 8 of my CVC teammates + I all head north of Albany to Cambridge NY for the craziest road race in the USA. They say it’s the biggest RR in the country. I’m told 1700 racers are going to race Battenkill Saturday this will just be a blast.

Ok so we all arrive in Cambridge around noon – drop off bikes some folks check into the hotel, and then we stuff 9 racers into 2 cars and drive the 62 mile race course we all will be racing Saturday. This is just a nutty (in a very cool kinda way) course!! At mile 6.4 miles you hit the first dirt road with many more ( 8 to be exact) steep dirt climbs + descents along the 62 mile course. Oh yea don’t forget the steep tar climbs also, I mean steep – can you say/remember Joe Bean Road @ 27 miles -- One word SHATTERFEST ! If you did this race you will have vivid memories of PAIN …..

So it’s now Saturday @ 10:50 and my CAT 5 45+ plus race starts 50 guys all with dreams of winning …….. We roll along --- at 5.7 miles we take a left and the pace picks way up because we have a narrow covered bridge with a wooden floor and loose sand, and we all want to be near the front. We all get over OK at least the guys I could see in the front group. One guy attacks out of no where to be the first on the dirt section #1. We all follow – it was hard packed and just another road. Back to tar up a few rollers then some steeper climbs. At 11.7 miles is a 150ish degree left turn on Juniper Swamp road with a pile of loose dirt + gravel. This is the section they say will break the groups apart never to join again. So I made

it around this corner in the front group with maybe 2-5 guys. I never looked back as we rolled along -- the wall of DIRT was approaching fast. This is going to hurt. I dig deep and hope my hard work training for months will help keep me in the front group. As I start the climb we spread out --- it is not fun but I hear this yelling in my head ??? It’s KEITH and he is close to the top screaming STEVE STEVE - Go go Steve STEVE . KEITH you a nut but it was great having you run next to me screaming at the top of your lungs !!! It helps al LOT and I crest the top in maybe 7-8th place . Good deal…… WE roll along more dirt more -- it’s all a blurr now as I write this 36 + hours later. Some where along some rollers this Guy looks back and says Guys we got pick up the pace so they don’t catch us. I look around and we have a break away group of 11 Guys, WAY cool this is how it’s supposed to happen + I made the break. Funny thing was I was staying so close to the front and working so hard I had no idea we even had a break going. Any how these Guys start drilling it off the front – it was like the hardest pace I have ever ridden and I was just along for the crazy ride. At mile 27 we hit the next WALL this one is TAR – Joe Bean Road up up up we go the group stays together except me and another guy he quickly bridges back up and I’m in no mans land - Damm I did not want this to happen….. So now I’m working my hardest to catch back up. I have a plan the next dirt section I will use my Mtn bike skills I used in the last 2 dirt section to stay in the front of the pack and catch back up. It took a long time 5-7 miles but I did get back on the group but I was close to empty….. I hang on and we keep going at this crazy pace.

Our 11 man break away group

That's me in the back getting a bottle - yea I'm there you just can't see much of me besides my FOOT. Or just see next pic.

I come around a corner and see tons of cars up in this meadow on a hill look @ Speedo and were close to the 42 mile mark for the feed zone. I have one empty bottle and one 1/3 full. I kill it and toss both bottles - Keith hands me one and Andrew gets me bottle #2. Now my nice lighter bike with empty water bottles is 4-5#’s heavier . I could feel the difference right away. NOT GOOD ……. Some where in the section between mile 45-50 I get shelled off the break away group and ride out the rest of the race alone. It was hard - I suffered / cramped / talked to myself, what ever it takes to keep motivated and moving forward when you body is saying STOP…… I see some teammates – ( I think I saw some stars) get passed by the 60+ break of 6 guys they were flying. I hit the last dirt section and give it my best – the last section with the wicked loose rocks was (loose + hard as hell to ride ). I ride out the last TAR miles pass one guy we talk a bit + I say c y later and take off. I’m thinking 39 guys are behind me somewhere and I don’t want to get passed this late in the race. Finish line -- 3 hr. 20 mins - 11th place .

I’m tired + cold

BUT SO WICKED HAPPY

This should be my last CAT 5 race .. Sending in my upgrade request tonight .