Race Result

Racer:	Richard Gendron
Race:	Jefferson Cup
Date:	Sunday, March 29, 2009
Location:	Charlottesville, VA
Race Type:	Bike - Other
Age Group:	Male 40 - 44
Overall Place:	63 / 125
Comment:	Just Great for 90 minutes

Race Report:

Jeff Cup is the first race of the season, and it's a Road Race. It consists of 4 laps (for CAT 4) of a 10 mile loop near charlottesville. The course is basically a three cornered hat, complete with pinched corners. Going around clockwise, we enter the first turn on a slight decline, do about 170deg turn, then start into the biggest climb of the race - essentially from a dead stop. The only good thing about the hill is that it is short and there is a rapid descent right afterwards followed by rolling hills to turn 2. The third leg is rolling hills that are more down than up. After turn three there are rollers that are more up than down, to the start finish line, which is about half way along that edge of the hat.

The CAT 4, 35+ masters and the CAT 1,2,3 races were scheduled to leave 3 minutes apart starting aroung 2:30. Teh weather was perfect - 65 degrees, sunny and jsut breezy enough to discourage breakaways. We assembled in a parking lot across a major road from the course and all three of the fields lined up for a neutral roll out. 375 riders 3 cop cars and 6 or so motorcycles - very surreal.

We rolled up to the start line to the tune of of "SLOWING", and "STOPPING" and then were off to 40 miles of racing. In the first lap, I have to admit I was suffering. I was about midpack. In the CAT 4 race this means every time we got to a trough in the road, the peleton would almost grind to a halt, forcing us to work hard up the next hill. When we rolled past the start line, I was determined to work my way to the front where momentum would help me get up most of the hills. After the second big climb, I thought to myself, "this sucks, I'm dropping out", but then immediately started to feel better. I worked my way to the front 10 and stayed there for most of the next hour - not working, just up front enough to get the benefit of a rolling start up the hills.

On Lap three in the rolling portion of the third leg, I started to worry that Bike Lane and Lattitude were going to put toghether a break that would stick. Not sure why, but I started to cover some of the attacks when I should have been sitting in. On the very last climb of the day (lap 4), I fell back through the pack as they gunned it up the hill one last time. I half expected this, but had no idea that the peleton had shrunk from 125 to about 60. Before I knew it, I was off the back by about 25 yards with 4 or 5 others. I took desperate chances to get back on during the descent, but just could not get there. Once we hit the rollers at the bottom of the descent, I gave it up and settled into a four man team time trial chase (Evo, NCVC, Carey Racing and me) just hoping to finish.

I would like to say that the rest of the race was uneventful - I mean it would jut be rude to fight for 60-64th place. EVO and I were working well togehter, but NCVC guy was surging during his pulls and coming off of the rotation (pulling through clockwise, when the wind called for counter) - not intentional, just hard to work with. The Carey guy was outright attacking us. Evo and I agreed to let him run when he attached and then would swollow him back up when he died. We rounded the last turn in a strait line. NCVC pulling, then EVO, me, then Carey. I could tell Carey guy was measureing us up for a sprint, which sucked - I did not want to sprint for 60th place. I dropped back like I was gassed and then hopped back on Carey's wheel when he reattached. I told myself, "If he jumps, I sprint", if not, we roll over.

Sure enough, he jumped, I sucked his wheel. As we went by EVO jumped as well, and NCVC guy yelled "c'mon we should just spin over". I waited for the last 150 and then sprinted with what I had left and left Carey by more than a length. I cought up with both EVO and NCVC after the race and we talked about it. We agreed it was in bad taste, but were glad that both EVO and I crushed the guy in a sprint that he chose.