Three Village Tour Cat. 4

This will probably be my least exciting race report for the simple reason that not much happened in this race. I was out of town for the Pugatory-Housatonic Hills race weekend so I decided to add this race to my calendar, a race that I had never done again but would certainly do it next year.

The Three Village Tour is held in Baltic, CT, I had never heard of it either so you are not the only one. The course was simple enough, 10 mile loop that the 4’s did four laps of. As Dave Andersen and I are riding to the race we are discussing the course description which made it seem as if we would have two tough climbs and a descent that the race organizer tried to scare the crap out of you with. When we get closer to the race registration we notice a couple of hills that aren’t even the main climbs but which looked like they might interesting to tackle several times at race pace.

I was using this race as strictly a way to get back on form because I was off the bike for 5 full days on my trip back home. I thought about this race strictly as a way to get race miles in before Fitchburg next weekend. I felt decent and I hoped to try and practice on drafting better and maybe if I had the opportunity launch at least one attack somewhere near the end of lap 3 or anywhere on lap 4.

The race had about 60 riders and we started with no neutral start, which was interesting because the first part of the course was the main climb of the day so guys started going hard right off the bat up a hill. I was lined up mid-pack but since I was going to go into the red too quickly if I tried to match their pace I found myself out the back as usual going up the first hill. The course was basically one long climb at the start, with sections that plateaued leading to another climb. This lasted for maybe a mile, after which we had a nice descending section, fast and at times sketchy with a semi-sharp right bed. About 3.5 miles in we hit the second main climb which was short but steep, esepcially at the top, I was in the 39×25 by the 4th lap on this hill. The rest of the course was some nice rolling sections, two little blips that hurt the legs, some flat and only one 90 degree right hand turn near the finish that slowed the group down. I spent the first two laps in the back, but not properly drafting. I have been so nervous at races lately because there has been a crash at every race I have done with the exception of two. Needless to say I was not drafting at all, constantly thinking about a crash and anticipating one. This is no way to race because I was essentially doing a time trial, riding at the same pace as the peloton but with no protection, so in other words, a 40 mile time trial. I spent my time in the back being nervous and chatting up another rider from Ireland about the course and our respective form. The area was scenic and I thought the course was very good with only one small section of road that had a few potholes in it that were well marked.

By the end of the second lap I started to think about how I would need to move up at some point to try my attack. I knew that I was wasting tons of energy in the back not drafting so I vowed to somehow move. Unfortunately the group was spending so much time in the flatter sections covering the entire road not riding particularly fast. Only two riders attacked, both at different occasions, and to no avail so there was no room for me to move up on the inside or outside, I still haven’t given moving up through thhe middle any though because frankly it scares me. On the third lap I started to feel a little winded going up the second climb and thought for a split second that I might get detached but I was able to spin to the top of the hill and catch back on, albeit catching on to my customary bike length or two off the back.

As we are strolling along near the end of the third lap I was sitting in my usual spot about two bike lengths back, not getting any draft advantage and basically getting a massive interval workout in. Suddenly right in front of me two guys apparently touch wheels and about 8 to 10 riders go down in a pile. Because of my two bike length distance from the peloton I had enough time to brake hard and safely swerve to the left of the downed riders. Fortunately I did not go down and it did not appear that anyone was seriously hurt, but unfortunately one rider that slid to the left had stood up and was blocking me from staying clipped in and swerving through the mess to catch back on to the peloton. I had to de-clip for a couple of seconds and move through the riders which meant that I had to do another huge interval for about a kilometer to fully catch back on. By the time I got back on, or semi-on in my case, I was starting to feel beat and seeing as how the first climb on the final lap was coming I knew that my chance to launch attack was gone, at this point I just wanted to stay with the main group. I struggled a little on the second climb, switching into my easiest gear and nearly getting detached again but I stayed calm and stayed with the group. Only until the very end where a little riser with an uphill semi-switchback caught me off guard did I finally pack it in and I just coasting to the finish. I was only 30 seconds off the winner but was right there with the main group. I finished 37th out of 44 finishers, with one guy behind me that finished mostly with the main group, the rest of the finishers were a few minutes off the pace.

All in all it was good race to do, but I definitely was upset that I never got to try my hand at playing at least one card and launching an attack just to see what would happen. It was good to see Stephen Rock out there too, meaning we had a total of 3 BRCers flying the colors for the club. Dave and I have been learning several lessons this season, for him they are mostly new ones because this is his first season, for me it is many of the same lessons that I have known about but have struggled to deal with properly. Regardless I am looking forward to trying my hand at Fitchburg and throwing all of my eggs in the basket that is the Stage 1 Circuit Race.

Lessons learned -

1. One day learn how to draft and get over my nervousness about crashes, hard to do when you almost go down in one.

2. If I can’t get over my nervousness, line up earlier and fight like hell to maintain my position until I can attack, in other words be in the first 20 riders or forget about it.

3. Buy a time trial bike and start practicing because everyone keeps telling me that that is where my talent may lay since I seem to be doing a massive TT every weekend that I race anyway [and still manage to finish with the grroup], why not see if I can win something racing solo.

4. Scratch lesson number 3 and just get to the front and attack.