It seemed about 50-60 P12 guys started this race.. Started being the key word for me and many others! First lap we got right to it, one brave loner rolled off the front pretty much from the gun, and, in what became a theme.. Cal Giant Berry Farm (CGBF) decided they didn't like that. CGBF had 3 guys in the race, and I believe their team plan consisted of, "lets ride as hard as possible in front without relent.." and so we did! There were two large climbs on the course, the finishing one everyone knows about (2.5 miles 5%) and what I thought was the harder (steeper pitches with some interspersed false flat/ descent) of the two on the middle of the course. Our average climb speeds probably tell a better story than any actual race tactics. Lap 1 mid climb (to high point): 19.6 mph, Lap 1 finish climb: 18.3 mph.. At this point, the main field was down to 20 guys and I thought to myself, "geeze I'm going to get a good result today! If there's this few already we'll probably slow down on hills." I was mistaken. The group swelled back up to around 40 by time we hit Lap 2 mid climb. Which we proceeded to ride at 20.9 mph.. That did me in. I managed to chase back through the cars and make contact again for the Lap 2 finish climb, but I was dropped pretty quickly and that was my race. I think there was probably 25 left in the field when I popped. I rode another lap of shame by myself, then called it a day 66 miles in. I did look awesome in my MRC kit though, so there's that!
Saw PJ (I think that's who that was) racing in a field that went off after mine. Hope his day went more positively!
Joe
2014 Tokeneke Classic
Re: 2014 Tokeneke Classic
Sounds terrible. And just think PJ was trying to convince me to do this race.
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PJ McQuade
- Chasseur
- Posts: 769
- Joined: Mon Nov 19, 2007 10:44 pm
- Location: Millbury
Re: 2014 Tokeneke Classic
Yup, that was me Joe. Looking sharp in the kit. Welcome to MRC and one of the hardest races in the region! My race (Cat 3) was brutal and a lot more sane than yours so I can't imagine...
Tokeneke consists of a 22 mile lap with around 2,000 ft climbing/lap. There's two long descents, one at the start, and another around mile 20. The rest is climbing. And I agree with Joe, the long climb in the middle is the hardest. It rolls on for miles with a series of steep punches before false flatting forever into the descent. Then it's the long 5% deal to wrap up the lap. Why would anyone do 3 laps on this course on a steamy August day, the morning after a friend's wedding? Because I got a top 10 here last year and I've been searching all season for a breakthrough result. Plus I like hills.
Lap 1: My legs felt lousy. It was hot. My jersey felt super tight. I overate at the wedding. Maybe I'll flat and since there's no wheel car a DNF won't be too shameful. Eventually things felt better and I rolled through the feed zone (finish) with a fresh bottle feeling much better.
Lap 2: KMS Cat 3 junior destroyer Ian Clarke rolls off the front midway through the lap with someone else in tow. We're climbing and a catch looks likely but the gap stays at about 15 seconds. I go to the front and do some work. Gap is the same. Matches burned. I take a flyer and start to blow. More matches. Same gap. Not a lot of organization from the field here. They either didn't know that Ian is a serious threat or maybe everyone was maxed. No blocking since neither dude had teammates. At any rate, he never returned. I'm stunned. Upgrade and finish your summer reading, thanks!
Lap 3: Feeling good at the start of the lap but still on the front doing too much work. Still hoping we'd pull back the break. Then we hit a few rollers and my legs begin the start of a slow death so I tuck in. Field down to maybe 30 from what was 50+. We hit the back side of the course, AKA the long sequence of climbs and I'm in the pack but not feeling great. Some are feeling worse and we're down to 25. The finishing climb is my kind of climb. It's not too steep and just long enough to pop the sprinters, and my climbing ability lies somewhere in between. But not today. Someone attacked at the bottom, the pace lifted and my legs suddenly felt like fried eggs. I held on for dear life with a small group and watched the lead group of 10 open a gap the rest of the way. The sad thing is, the other guy in the break with Ian got caught and had I not had fried eggs legs I could have been in the hunt for a podium (has anyone ever used the tired legs excuse before?) Ended up 13th, an appropriate way to finish the road season since I spent all year "close to a top 10."
On a side note, I haven't cramped in a race since Hilltowns a few years ago when it was 145 degrees and I find it strangely ironic that I cramped a few days after our club discussed cramping. So what's the latest with that sponsorship thingy?
Tokeneke consists of a 22 mile lap with around 2,000 ft climbing/lap. There's two long descents, one at the start, and another around mile 20. The rest is climbing. And I agree with Joe, the long climb in the middle is the hardest. It rolls on for miles with a series of steep punches before false flatting forever into the descent. Then it's the long 5% deal to wrap up the lap. Why would anyone do 3 laps on this course on a steamy August day, the morning after a friend's wedding? Because I got a top 10 here last year and I've been searching all season for a breakthrough result. Plus I like hills.
Lap 1: My legs felt lousy. It was hot. My jersey felt super tight. I overate at the wedding. Maybe I'll flat and since there's no wheel car a DNF won't be too shameful. Eventually things felt better and I rolled through the feed zone (finish) with a fresh bottle feeling much better.
Lap 2: KMS Cat 3 junior destroyer Ian Clarke rolls off the front midway through the lap with someone else in tow. We're climbing and a catch looks likely but the gap stays at about 15 seconds. I go to the front and do some work. Gap is the same. Matches burned. I take a flyer and start to blow. More matches. Same gap. Not a lot of organization from the field here. They either didn't know that Ian is a serious threat or maybe everyone was maxed. No blocking since neither dude had teammates. At any rate, he never returned. I'm stunned. Upgrade and finish your summer reading, thanks!
Lap 3: Feeling good at the start of the lap but still on the front doing too much work. Still hoping we'd pull back the break. Then we hit a few rollers and my legs begin the start of a slow death so I tuck in. Field down to maybe 30 from what was 50+. We hit the back side of the course, AKA the long sequence of climbs and I'm in the pack but not feeling great. Some are feeling worse and we're down to 25. The finishing climb is my kind of climb. It's not too steep and just long enough to pop the sprinters, and my climbing ability lies somewhere in between. But not today. Someone attacked at the bottom, the pace lifted and my legs suddenly felt like fried eggs. I held on for dear life with a small group and watched the lead group of 10 open a gap the rest of the way. The sad thing is, the other guy in the break with Ian got caught and had I not had fried eggs legs I could have been in the hunt for a podium (has anyone ever used the tired legs excuse before?) Ended up 13th, an appropriate way to finish the road season since I spent all year "close to a top 10."
On a side note, I haven't cramped in a race since Hilltowns a few years ago when it was 145 degrees and I find it strangely ironic that I cramped a few days after our club discussed cramping. So what's the latest with that sponsorship thingy?
To climb steep hills requires a slow pace at first.
-Shakespeare
-Shakespeare
Re: 2014 Tokeneke Classic
Nice work guys.
Re: 2014 Tokeneke Classic
Way to go guys! I did that race once (and only once!).