Grand Prix of Beverly

[pace21]

Great race, great teamwork, great results…..

Lined up for the GP of Beverly cat 4 race with Stefan, Smudger, Rob, Len, and Jeremy. Torrid pace right from the gun, we were lined out for the first few laps. Glad I got a decent warm up in, although we did sit for a while on the line waiting for the start since we wanted a front row start (which we got). The pace slowed a couple times throughout the race, but for the most part it was ON for the whole race. I can’t imagine being near the back on that course and getting whip-sawed out of every corner (that’s right, I’m looking at YOU Jeremy and Stefan….) Rob was looking and riding strong and snagged a mid race prime, so on the next prime I had a little dig to see how I felt – I came up short of a Junior from Killington Mountain School, but the good news was my back handled the standing effort with no ill effects. We had a pre-race strategy of attacking with 3 or 4 to go (about 1.5 minute lap times), but looking down at my computer throughout the race told me that there was no way I could stay away for 5 minutes at a speed greater than what the pack was doing, so I internally abandoned that strategy mid race and starting thinking sprint finish. Two way radios would have been nice to have….

After the final prime, 2 guys stayed clear and had a gap. One of the two guys was the Killington kid and the other guy was maybe? an ECV dude. The fog of racing was all-consuming at this point…. Those 2 stayed clear for a while and Smudger took it on to nail them back. I couldn’t quite tell whether he was bridging or pulling so I eased up to let Smudger go, but the gap was quickly swarmed in so I got right back in line in the top 10 or so. Smudger got it done though and approaching 1 to go it was clear we were coming back together. At one point in the last couple laps we were lined out with Rob, Jeremy, me, and Smudger forming the point. Was Russcam around for that one??

With one to go, a dude who I REALLY thought was Mike Brier (almost identical kit) went for it off the front. My snap decision was go or not go, and I thought the move wouldn’t have the goods so I let it go. It turns out it was not Brier, but a dude from Providence Velo who incidentally won Attleboro last month in a final lap attack. Shame on me for not recognizing….. Anyways, he did in fact have “the goods” and stayed clear for the last lap. An ECV guy was off the front in second place but he didn’t have the wheel of the Providence guy. The race starting lining itself up on the back straight, I was next to Len and anaerobically uttered something along the lines of “grab my wheel”, I pulled left about 100meters before the final right hander and attacked hard into the corner. I passed everyone in the field going into the turn, railed the outside (leftmost) line, and by the time we were straightened out I had about 10 bike lengths and a whole lot more momentum. All that was left was to catch the ECV guy which left me with 2nd overall and a huge smile….

Notes:
1) The fog of racing:
a. Confused Providence Velo guy for Brier
b. Oops. Rob’s on the front leading out the last laps, Jeremy is second wheel, I’m third wheel. For some reason I think Rob is Len and that Len is going for a late attack, so I holler to Jeremy to ease up (why would we chase our teammate, right?). My bad, I was totally wrong and Jeremy got swarmed and sent to about 20th wheel. Sorry JC.
c. Couldn’t effectively tell the rest of the guys that a plan for a 3 lap flyer was off.
d. Could only manage some non-sensical babbling to Len to have him follow me on the outside of the final turn. I’m sure he just heard blah blah blah.
2) A first for me – witnessed a crash on a warm up lap
3) Kudos to Rob and Jeremy, great work at the pointy end of the field in the closing laps. Kudos to Smudger for nailing back the late move by the strong pair of breakaway guys.
4) The beer and pizza at Soma restaurant in Beverly is really good.

[RFollansbee]

Awesome job by Chris.

My view: my goal was to not crash out before vacation and Great Glen so I accomplished that. I felt surprisingly very good after the pounding I've been putting myself through to get ready for GG. Found myself a little further back than I wanted the first couple of laps so I moved up behind Big Jerry. So easy riding behind him. Stayed there for a few laps and then a prime lap came. Jerry moves forward - I follow. For some reason he pulled off and there was just 3 of us into the last corner. Just pipped the guy at the line for the prime. Rode around in the top 15 most of the rest of the race until about 4 to go. Out of no where Jeremy shows up. I thought he took my advice and hid all day until the end. Seeing Chris' story, now I know how I ended up off the front a bit. I slowed since I was wondering where our train was. Oh well. Should have listened to everyone's advice to fight to the last corner since I entered there in 13th and finished in 13th. No movement at all in the finishing straight. Fun time and glad we had 2 in the top 10.

[rusto]

Congrats to Chris and the whole Cat 4 team, you guys really had to work hard yesterday. Got some good shots that will take a while to go through, but meanwhile there's my iPhone snaps that you can browse and this shot of Chris and fellow podium achievers with their prizes (you should have been there when the 3rd place guy fell down those granite steps as we were setting up the "hands up" shot!).

prizes.jpg (129.95 KiB) Viewed 10196 times

[swawersik]

Nice race by all... except me.

Here's how not to race GP Beverly:

- Went off the line in the small chainring. In the fog of racing, it took me 2.5 laps to realize this (after the third time I tried to shift down a cog, only to find noplace else to go). By the time I realized the problem, I'd slid all the way to the back.

- Did not like cornering in the back, and was all over my brakes. Eventually started forcing myself to stay off them and was moving up positions on the corners...

- ...but kept giving those spots back on the sprints out of the corners (which were horrible, because I was at the back). I couldn't figure out why I had no closing power (I thought I was in decent form) until the anchor finally came out and I fell off the back, out of the noise, and could hear my front brake rubbing. The fact that it was rubbing is entirely my fault - I don't really want to go into more detail and impugn my wrenching skills (or lack thereof).

- After the elastic snapped at 3 to go, I rode a lap solo before the official pulled me. Or at least I think he pulled me: I may have just thought he did, as I ended up being scored a DNF rather than being pulled and placed.

So, to review, I rode the some of the hardest and most important laps of the race in the small ring, broke the cardinal rule of efficient cornering, suffered from an entirely avoidable mechanical problem, and may have voluntarily quit. Why share this? I'm pissed and plan to take it out on the next two races (and maybe the entire 'cross season if I have to). Grrrrr.

The one upside was that I had a finish line view of Chris' impressive closing sprint. Nice job!

[jraguin]

A huge congrats to Chris! And all (once I read your reports). Sounds like another team effort! Sounds like an upgrade is in order Chris... PJ will finally have company!

Redemption is sometimes the best motivator Stefan!

[gcdavid]

I believe that other guy is Curtis Singmaster, who is on my CXracing.com team.

[Smudger]

Good start. Comfortable at the front of the race until 2 guys attack with 5 to go. They were on different teams but obviously working together. 1 (CCB) had nailed the 1st 2 laps and set the tone for the race and other was a young kid from Green Mountain who had won 2 primes. They got a gap and I decided I had to go . Spent the rest of the lap pegging them back. Was hoping I was bridging but was pulling everyone with me. Gave a brief thought to go right over the top on the catch but it was very brief. Sat up to let someone else work and planned to slot in back near the front. Unfortunately this coincided with Jeremy and Rob stringing it out on the front and I slid back to the heart of the group. Looking for a good wheel to get me back up front with no luck and then we were about to start the last lap. Panic stations and I start diving through the corners but its way to late. Sit up on the back straight but see Jeremys wheel in front going into the last corner so have to throw my bike past him on the line for something like 30th. Yes I know (richard). Pretty disappointed not to be in the mix at the end. I wanted to help more for the win. I worked to pull the break back but wasn't totally blown I relaxed too much when I made the catch and should have forced myself to stay near the front. Once I drifted back I didn't realise quickly enough how difficult it was going to be to get back. Apart from that it was great riding for the strongest team in the race and great to see Chris get a great result to match his great form.

[rusto]

Shot of the whole squad at the start:

[JeremyC]

Random thoughts

1) if Chris was in a fog then I was in a coma
2) master of the obvious award - after spending 2/3rds of the race at the back I yelled at Stefan "we need to move up"
3) there are 2 ways to move up in a race like this, one rider at a time for 30 minutes or throw down 1200 watts on a sketchy inside move and dive bomb the corner with no regard for human life
4) once you get to the front, don't sit up, especially with 2 laps to go
5) puking in your mouth is a bad sign, doubly bad on lap 2
6) chris is annoyingly good at crits. I secretly want to watch him suffer as a cat 3, while cheering him on of course
7) lastly, no amount of wells races can prepare you for Beverly. I'll keep trying though

Fun race all around, thoroughly enjoy racing with the MRC team.

[rusto]

Full gallery of pix here: http://www.russcam.com/cycling/110803_gpbeverly/

I'll start creating download locations for each of you I got shots of and send you emails/pm's.

[onegeardoug]

Glad to see my teammates peaking for HOGG. We should be a force against the other 3 Expert teams...