I love this race, even when it sucks. Bike racing is supposed to be hard, and Battenkill delivers. For MRC today it was a mix of suckiness and awesomeness, and my experience was somewhere in between.. but mostly awesome.
A bunch of us old guys decided to do the 45+ instead of Cat 3, cause we're old and old guys are slow?.?.? NOT. But still a huge Cat 3 field is pretty fast so that was the decision (the Cat 3 guys can confirm).
Anyway, a small Old Guy field with Cat 1s is still really hard. We started REALLY slow with Me, The Pirate, The Diesel, Gary Busey, Lenny and Squigey. Oh wait you want their real names? John R., Rich, Chris B., Len and John E. Meetinghouse was fast but steady. Stage Road was really fast but I rode in the top 10, even though this is usually out of my comfort zone. The Pirate was right there every step, and Busey and the Diesel (Sitcom?) were close behind. Len is jinxed and had flatted. Erhlinger is a sprinter, and.... Actually I'm not sure what happened to John but since he didn't show at the beer tent he gets relegated to "sprinter".
Anyway, 10+ miles to recover before Perry Rd/Juniper. Busey put in a dig for a few miles and Diesel was doing work. Perry was easy, but Juniper hurt pretty bad. The Pirate and I were close to the front but we had to chase 7 guys (note to self). We caught back on and so did Busey and Diesel (sitcom? oh wait I used that joke). Fast forward to my nemesis, Joe Bean, Diesel was dropping the hammer at the bottom, if I had a race radio I would have told him to "CHILL OUT" but he did anyway and we cruised to the top fast but steady. I was starting to get excited since Joe Bean is usually my downfall. I moved to the front and descended kind of fast, a few turns later we're at the last BIG obstacle, Riddle Rd. Holy crap attacks start flying. We made it across half way up, but the pace was "uncomfortable" and although I was very near the front with the Pirate, 7 guy just barely get away over the top. The Pirate and I are in chasing mode for the upcoming "descent" but the the Pirate flatted at an inopportune time. Nooooo!!!! All of a sudden I'm by myself in no-mans land TTing. I catch one of the 7 and the others (Cranky-crank) and are still in striking distance when the diesel and "Blue man group" caught up to us and we go into 4 man rotating group mode. There was a nasty cross wind, and I one point I had a funny thought that we were rotating the wrong way into the wind and Smudger was yelling at us. I thought maybe I should say something but then I was too tired and decided to forget it. They were mad at me cause I already had yelled at them. Boooo hoooo.
Anyway, despite a valiant effort to catch the leaders we failed, hit the last climb, the Diesel had used his last match and got dropped, I chased an attack by "cranky cranks". We gapped Blue man group but then I was gapped by cranky and we got to the top in what you'd think was the finishing order of 7,8.9 but then Blue Man went crazy, caught me, then we caught cranky, and then in the sprint Blue man threw down like 2000 watts and we still finished 7,8.9 with me in the middle. The the Diesel finished 10, Busey 11 and Pirate 12 (after flatting).
The beer tent was awesome!!! And we saw some other great MRC results. Great times for the last Battenkill!
Battenkill 2016
Re: Battenkill 2016
Nothing much to add to Jeremy's report. It was great with the 4 of us in there as the field kept getting reduced by the climbs. A lot of lolligagging between climbs and then hard on the climbs (except Joe Bean). My flat was definitely a bummer both for me and Jeremy as I really think Jeremy and I would have closed the gap as some of the front 7 were very cautious on dirt & descents and that is what we had in front of us. I thought for a second about waiting for the next pack but decided with the mostly downhill that I was better just time trialing. There were some crosswinds which stunk solo but I eventually saw a guy from the Horst team and Chris B way in front of me so it gave me incentive. I caught the Horst guy with maybe 2 miles to go and I realized I didn't want to pull him back to Chris B. So I chilled with him for a bit and then saw he was tired so I dropped him on the final climb. Finished 12th which I am happy with especially considering the flat.
It was great having beers with the gang after and seeing John Morrissey & John Steiger finish in the 5s. A lot of good reports to come... post up people!
It was great having beers with the gang after and seeing John Morrissey & John Steiger finish in the 5s. A lot of good reports to come... post up people!
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MarkMiller321
- Domestique
- Posts: 105
- Joined: Mon Feb 08, 2016 4:58 pm
Re: Battenkill 2016
Walking away from the Cat 3 race with mixed emotions. This was my first team race where we did not walk away with a win! This was also the first time that I was pleased with a race but disappointed with a result, or lack there of. I started three rows back with the guys and rolled out easy through the neutral start. I languished at the back while the early jitters got worked out. I felt great early and easily worked through the field on the first climb and 90 degree turn onto the main road.
Last year I tanked at Battenkill and had awful legs from Meetinghouse on to the finish. This year on Meetinghouse I had great legs and I could tell that I was ready for a good result. Over the next hour I started to pick up on a palpable frantic energy in the bunch. There was a lot of younger riders that all appeared strong that were constantly attacking off the front. I was supposed to sit back and eat for the first two hours until Riddle Road but given the hot pace and lack of MRC representation at the front I felt like I was on the defensive.
I felt amazing on Stage and knew that I could have gapped the field had I wanted to but I was content to try and sit and "relax." My fueling was spot on but I was consistently positioning myself and wasting energy that did not need to be expended. Heading toward Juniper, Sick Watts Tom put in a huge dig. I sat poised because this drew a pretty concerted chase from the group. Chris and I did some pretty clever blocking but it was pretty clear that Tom was going to be caught at the base of Juniper. Things really heated up on the steep part of the climb so I went to the front and threw another log on the fire. Over the crest we had a nice little gap and four or five guys that I had pegged as strong. We lacked organization and the group came back together but had been reduced to roughly forty riders. We were represented well with Tom, Chris, PJ, and I still intact and looking strong. My role of sitting back was out the door long ago so I decided to keep taking digs when appropriate.
At the onset of Joe Bean it was apparent that a selection was about to happen so I went to work. My effort would be best described as controlled crushing. I followed wheels and then took short digs to draw reactions from the kids. My heart rate was high but I was in control. The bunch had whittled down to twenty-five or so with all of the MRC guns still present. We were approaching Riddle and I was relatively certain that we were going to pull out the win again. Unfortunately I had no idea how close Riddle was and was still feeling Joe Bean as we took the turn. I did my job and went to the front but knew that I didn't have the guns to attack solo so I kept riding steady in the lead. Just then the lanky kid that was parked next to me attacked. I countered and was there but had a bad fifteen to thirty seconds at the exact second that I needed to be at full power and lost the wheel. To my credit the kid caught a wheel from a dropped rider from the 1/2/3 which was a little shady in my opinion. As I watched them ride away it was clear that they were working together and I was stuck in no mans land. I still thought the group would be able to catch up so I sat up and waited for the bunch. This was essentially my race. Chris set me up to bridge on the next paved section but I started to cramp. I was pissed at the work that I had done and knew that I had wasted way too much energy early to be effective late. I was so close to the winning move but didn't have the goods when push came to shove.
I talked with Chris who was also toast about our options. We knew that Tom was toast so I suggested that we go all in for PJ on the last climb. I was totally cracked so I decided that I would attack all out at the base forcing a reaction from the guys looking for podium spots. At the turn I threw every last ounce of energy into the fray and lasted about forty seconds. I was totally cracked but as the group went by somehow I managed to catch back on to one of the groups that contained a hurting Chris. I accelerated over the top and did my best to set Chris up for a minor placing. Working on my third crack I went as hard as humanly possibly from the top of the climb until 450 to go. I went so hard leading out Chris that my eyes crossed and I almost crashed off the side of the road into the bushes. Chris launched and I rode in to the finish in under three hours. PJ ended up 8th and Chris 11th. I really needed a Jeremy bobble head on my bars telling me to relax. I know if I had followed the plan that I would have been able to pull it out. What I was proud of was that after I blew that I was able to keep working for the team. Even though we didn't get a result I had a great time Friday and Saturday. The fact that PJ and I are alive after a night with the Crypt Keeper is victory enough!
Mark
Last year I tanked at Battenkill and had awful legs from Meetinghouse on to the finish. This year on Meetinghouse I had great legs and I could tell that I was ready for a good result. Over the next hour I started to pick up on a palpable frantic energy in the bunch. There was a lot of younger riders that all appeared strong that were constantly attacking off the front. I was supposed to sit back and eat for the first two hours until Riddle Road but given the hot pace and lack of MRC representation at the front I felt like I was on the defensive.
I felt amazing on Stage and knew that I could have gapped the field had I wanted to but I was content to try and sit and "relax." My fueling was spot on but I was consistently positioning myself and wasting energy that did not need to be expended. Heading toward Juniper, Sick Watts Tom put in a huge dig. I sat poised because this drew a pretty concerted chase from the group. Chris and I did some pretty clever blocking but it was pretty clear that Tom was going to be caught at the base of Juniper. Things really heated up on the steep part of the climb so I went to the front and threw another log on the fire. Over the crest we had a nice little gap and four or five guys that I had pegged as strong. We lacked organization and the group came back together but had been reduced to roughly forty riders. We were represented well with Tom, Chris, PJ, and I still intact and looking strong. My role of sitting back was out the door long ago so I decided to keep taking digs when appropriate.
At the onset of Joe Bean it was apparent that a selection was about to happen so I went to work. My effort would be best described as controlled crushing. I followed wheels and then took short digs to draw reactions from the kids. My heart rate was high but I was in control. The bunch had whittled down to twenty-five or so with all of the MRC guns still present. We were approaching Riddle and I was relatively certain that we were going to pull out the win again. Unfortunately I had no idea how close Riddle was and was still feeling Joe Bean as we took the turn. I did my job and went to the front but knew that I didn't have the guns to attack solo so I kept riding steady in the lead. Just then the lanky kid that was parked next to me attacked. I countered and was there but had a bad fifteen to thirty seconds at the exact second that I needed to be at full power and lost the wheel. To my credit the kid caught a wheel from a dropped rider from the 1/2/3 which was a little shady in my opinion. As I watched them ride away it was clear that they were working together and I was stuck in no mans land. I still thought the group would be able to catch up so I sat up and waited for the bunch. This was essentially my race. Chris set me up to bridge on the next paved section but I started to cramp. I was pissed at the work that I had done and knew that I had wasted way too much energy early to be effective late. I was so close to the winning move but didn't have the goods when push came to shove.
I talked with Chris who was also toast about our options. We knew that Tom was toast so I suggested that we go all in for PJ on the last climb. I was totally cracked so I decided that I would attack all out at the base forcing a reaction from the guys looking for podium spots. At the turn I threw every last ounce of energy into the fray and lasted about forty seconds. I was totally cracked but as the group went by somehow I managed to catch back on to one of the groups that contained a hurting Chris. I accelerated over the top and did my best to set Chris up for a minor placing. Working on my third crack I went as hard as humanly possibly from the top of the climb until 450 to go. I went so hard leading out Chris that my eyes crossed and I almost crashed off the side of the road into the bushes. Chris launched and I rode in to the finish in under three hours. PJ ended up 8th and Chris 11th. I really needed a Jeremy bobble head on my bars telling me to relax. I know if I had followed the plan that I would have been able to pull it out. What I was proud of was that after I blew that I was able to keep working for the team. Even though we didn't get a result I had a great time Friday and Saturday. The fact that PJ and I are alive after a night with the Crypt Keeper is victory enough!
Mark
Last edited by MarkMiller321 on Sun May 22, 2016 9:11 pm, edited 3 times in total.
Re: Battenkill 2016
Can ya break that up into a few paragraphs, Mark?
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MarkMiller321
- Domestique
- Posts: 105
- Joined: Mon Feb 08, 2016 4:58 pm
Re: Battenkill 2016
One subject. One paragraph!
Re: Battenkill 2016
Ugh. Mark hit just about all the key points. I came into this race with high hopes but questionable fitness, not to mention nursing a cold/allergy/cough thing that's been persisting for a week and a half. My watts/kg have yet to reach 2013 numbers -- last year I attributed it to a year off from racing but this year I'm running out of excuses. I knew pretty early that I wouldn't be lighting the world on fire on the climbs but that's ok since our strategy didn't call for that. However, the strategy DID call for me being near the front to help launch/block/chase etc, which is hard to do when you are bleeding spots on every climb and mounting furious chases on the backside. The first chink in the armor was at the very top of perry hill after Mark and I set tempo with Tom dangling ahead. Once the pack figured out what we were doing and came around us on the steep part the wheels kind of fell off for me and I started sliding. No biggie as I maintained contact with the group and started descending. I forgot how soon the left onto Juniper comes and I was caught at the back of our still fairly large group. I burned some matches on the flat dirt approach to the left turn to the juniper steep section since I knew there would be carnage and I didn't want to be behind it. Turns out I was the carnage and I slowed to almost a crawl near the top and really, really, really considered abandoning. But I didn't, and actually caught a second wind on the descent, which was timely since I had to chase my face off to get back to the pack. I actually set my PR on the entirety of the 8ish minute Juniper Swamp rd segment even though I was 30 (thirty!) seconds off my PR on the 90 second steep part segment. Ouch. At this point I was fearing Joe Bean and told Mark as much, but thankfully things were pretty tame from Juniper to Joe Bean. I did notice disappointingly high heart rates on my monitor while simply cruising in the pack. Joe Bean came in all its glory and it started take but finished rowdy (thanks Mark). I became detached after the flat part when it kicked up again and once again had thoughts of mailing it in but turned around to see the lone figure of Sickwatts and behind him... Nothing. That was sufficient motivation to not get dropped since I then knew we had a punchers chance of catching back on. We 2-man TTed the run over to Riddle and caught back on with a minute or two to spare. Then, of course, more carnage. But this time it was clear that we were in the final selection of 18-20 and making it over riddle meant making it to the end with the selection. So and as JB Tom and I got detached and chased like mad on the (moderately sketchy at those speeds under power) descent. Again we caught back and from there it was relatively uneventful until the last climb. I tried to stay steady and at one point was climbing alongside PJ and Mark when Alex McCormack attacked and drew out the fastest guys. The 3 of us started getting gapped and I knew I was done but hollered at PJ "no gaps" and he actually listened. He made the final final selection and Mark Tom and I did not. Mark nailed it (the description AND the actual leadout) on the run in and I launched a sprint from about 150meters from the turn, passed a guy before the turn and one or two after the turn but unfortunately got pipped for 10th place. All in all it was a rewarding experience. The first few climbs I definitely was in over my head but turns out my Joe Bean time was exactly tied with my PR from last year. What's crazy is that last year I was at the front and this year I was 20 seconds OTB. Turns out those Quebec kids can fly uphill. Actually, the first SIX places were won by kids 16-18 years old, then a 22 year old, then PJ. And I took a little consolation after looking at the 40+ times and knowing I would have been competitive there. Oh well, I'd say "next year" but alas, no.
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jmorrissey
- Domestique
- Posts: 207
- Joined: Thu Mar 18, 2010 1:01 pm
- Location: Ashland, MA
Re: Battenkill 2016
BattenKill is always such a great race so with it being the last year of the race I wanted to shoot for a podium spot. I was concerned about how hot it was going to be so I opted for the retro white kit just in case the sun came out it would be a bit cooler than the dark kit.
I wish we had more excitement in our field but it was a bit boring to be honest but the end result I'll take.
In our field we had three MRC members Mark Daniels, John Steiger and myself. I always think of BattenKill as race of attrition so I went into the race with the plan to not do any work and stay in with the lead group. The race started out and the three of us were sitting 2nd-4th letting a big guy do all the work on the front for probably the first 5 miles or so. I decided I wanted to be a bit further back in the pack so I told Mark and John I was going to head back to around 10th place so I could keep an eye on everyone for a bit. We were going really easy which can be hard for a lot of people to not go to the front do work but I kept in my head "don't do any work". I noticed John was on the front a lot so every once and a while I'd go up and remind him to let others do the work. I wasn't concerned with one or two guys getting off the front as I figured if need be I could go off and catch them by myself if need be. One guy went off the front and I was tempted to bridge over to him but I it was a long way to go so I continued to sit in. I think we had a group of 20 or so at this point and the guy off the front was out of sight now so everyone started to get concerned and they started chasing him down which is what I expected. We caught the solo guy and more going easy.
We went over Joe Bean at a manageable pace and a group of 6 of us had about a 30 second gap so I tried to get them to work together as I figured we could make it stick. At this so this is the first time I was willing to help at all but I was keeping my couple of pulls to 30 seconds. John was with us so it was good knowing I had help if needed be but others didn't think it would stick so they weren't interested in going hard and we were caught so the group swelled to about 15. We hit riddle rd and still a very manageable pace. By the top we were down to 9 riders.
I tend to over think things so this year I decided to not look at my power as I tend to use my power to talk myself into backing off. I only watched mileage and the cue sheet on my top tube which I think really worked for me. My original plan was to try a break away 5 miles out when we take the left at the end of Thomson road but as we took the left in a group of 9 I looked around and I was really fresh at this point so I wasn't too concerned so I changed up the plan. We took the left onto the last dirt climb which I knew I could ride in my big ring if need be. I was in 4th place and just followed them up the hill. At the top of the hill we were down to 4 and one of the guys did a long pull I remember thinking what are you doing pulling us in but I just stayed in 4th. At the end of his pull he dropped back so I was in 3rd and we were almost to the gravel road at the fair grounds. I figured I could carry much more speed if I took the right into the fair grounds in first so I jumped from third and took the turn and stayed on the gas. I thought I was farther away than the clock shows but 2 seconds is enough for a win.
At the finish my wife said "wow you don't really look tired compared to last year". I guess sitting in letting other do the work really helps (KT take note).
The most excitement of the day came when Cratty knocked a friends beer and it went down her shirt.
In the end I'm a bit bummed it wasn't a harder race but hey a win is a win. A couple more races I'll be out of the 5's finally!
I wish we had more excitement in our field but it was a bit boring to be honest but the end result I'll take.
In our field we had three MRC members Mark Daniels, John Steiger and myself. I always think of BattenKill as race of attrition so I went into the race with the plan to not do any work and stay in with the lead group. The race started out and the three of us were sitting 2nd-4th letting a big guy do all the work on the front for probably the first 5 miles or so. I decided I wanted to be a bit further back in the pack so I told Mark and John I was going to head back to around 10th place so I could keep an eye on everyone for a bit. We were going really easy which can be hard for a lot of people to not go to the front do work but I kept in my head "don't do any work". I noticed John was on the front a lot so every once and a while I'd go up and remind him to let others do the work. I wasn't concerned with one or two guys getting off the front as I figured if need be I could go off and catch them by myself if need be. One guy went off the front and I was tempted to bridge over to him but I it was a long way to go so I continued to sit in. I think we had a group of 20 or so at this point and the guy off the front was out of sight now so everyone started to get concerned and they started chasing him down which is what I expected. We caught the solo guy and more going easy.
We went over Joe Bean at a manageable pace and a group of 6 of us had about a 30 second gap so I tried to get them to work together as I figured we could make it stick. At this so this is the first time I was willing to help at all but I was keeping my couple of pulls to 30 seconds. John was with us so it was good knowing I had help if needed be but others didn't think it would stick so they weren't interested in going hard and we were caught so the group swelled to about 15. We hit riddle rd and still a very manageable pace. By the top we were down to 9 riders.
I tend to over think things so this year I decided to not look at my power as I tend to use my power to talk myself into backing off. I only watched mileage and the cue sheet on my top tube which I think really worked for me. My original plan was to try a break away 5 miles out when we take the left at the end of Thomson road but as we took the left in a group of 9 I looked around and I was really fresh at this point so I wasn't too concerned so I changed up the plan. We took the left onto the last dirt climb which I knew I could ride in my big ring if need be. I was in 4th place and just followed them up the hill. At the top of the hill we were down to 4 and one of the guys did a long pull I remember thinking what are you doing pulling us in but I just stayed in 4th. At the end of his pull he dropped back so I was in 3rd and we were almost to the gravel road at the fair grounds. I figured I could carry much more speed if I took the right into the fair grounds in first so I jumped from third and took the turn and stayed on the gas. I thought I was farther away than the clock shows but 2 seconds is enough for a win.
At the finish my wife said "wow you don't really look tired compared to last year". I guess sitting in letting other do the work really helps (KT take note).
The most excitement of the day came when Cratty knocked a friends beer and it went down her shirt.
In the end I'm a bit bummed it wasn't a harder race but hey a win is a win. A couple more races I'll be out of the 5's finally!
Re: Battenkill 2016
Congrats John!
To save everyone time, I'm going to write this report on behalf of myself, Len Engel, Bill Turner, and probably many others. Since some specifics will vary, it's in Mad Libs style.
I was really looking forward to the final edition of this race. I've been training hard and with my watts up to [_number_], I was excited to see what I could do. I was hoping to help [_teammate name_] get a good result, or maybe even try to go for it on [_Name of road on Battenkill course_], but unfortunately I got a flat tire at mile 10 on the fast gravel descent on Meetinghouse Road. Bummer! It took a while for the wheel car to get to me, but I waited as patiently as I could and ate my [_food item_]. The car finally rolled up, an [_adjective_] gentleman [_adverb synonymous with 'slow'_] walked around to the back where I was poised with wheel in one hand to tell me that he couldn't help me because he wasn't doing neutral support. Thanks [_term of endearment_]!
I changed my tube and thought for [_number_] minutes about just turning around and going back to the start, but I decided to finish the course since I drove all the way out here from [_location_]. I continued on at an [_adjective_] pace, sometimes on my own and sometime with [_number_] other riders. At one point I saw a [_noun_], which was kind of pretty.
After 58 miles of riding in a non-race race, I finally crossed the finish line and I was happy to be done, but I also felt a tinge of [_emotion_]. On the ride home I ate a whole bunch of [_food item_] and listened to electronic instrumental hip hop with the bass tuned way up and this was a balm for my spirit. I can't wait for my next chance at [_name of race_]!
To save everyone time, I'm going to write this report on behalf of myself, Len Engel, Bill Turner, and probably many others. Since some specifics will vary, it's in Mad Libs style.
I was really looking forward to the final edition of this race. I've been training hard and with my watts up to [_number_], I was excited to see what I could do. I was hoping to help [_teammate name_] get a good result, or maybe even try to go for it on [_Name of road on Battenkill course_], but unfortunately I got a flat tire at mile 10 on the fast gravel descent on Meetinghouse Road. Bummer! It took a while for the wheel car to get to me, but I waited as patiently as I could and ate my [_food item_]. The car finally rolled up, an [_adjective_] gentleman [_adverb synonymous with 'slow'_] walked around to the back where I was poised with wheel in one hand to tell me that he couldn't help me because he wasn't doing neutral support. Thanks [_term of endearment_]!
I changed my tube and thought for [_number_] minutes about just turning around and going back to the start, but I decided to finish the course since I drove all the way out here from [_location_]. I continued on at an [_adjective_] pace, sometimes on my own and sometime with [_number_] other riders. At one point I saw a [_noun_], which was kind of pretty.
After 58 miles of riding in a non-race race, I finally crossed the finish line and I was happy to be done, but I also felt a tinge of [_emotion_]. On the ride home I ate a whole bunch of [_food item_] and listened to electronic instrumental hip hop with the bass tuned way up and this was a balm for my spirit. I can't wait for my next chance at [_name of race_]!
Re: Battenkill 2016
[_laughing emoji_]
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PJ McQuade
- Chasseur
- Posts: 769
- Joined: Mon Nov 19, 2007 10:44 pm
- Location: Millbury
Re: Battenkill 2016
Very clever reporting style Jacob! Bummer about you and John R. Battenkill is infamous for "DNFing" riders one way or another, I guess that's part of the mystique (it's gotten me before too - twice.) John, way to go - that's huge! Wish I stuck around to see your finish. As Chris mentioned, Mark's account of the Cat 3 race is on point. I actually like the ultra-long paragraph because that's how I remember the race - a drawn out mix of various details, sounds and emotions that all blur together (plus the occasional dust and the smell of cow dung). I've always loved this race and was extra eager to reg this year since I missed 2015 and the revised course. It's a shame this one is joining the road race graveyard like so many others, it's truly one-of-a-kind. Hopefully it's resurrected in some form or another.
Anyway...onto the report. As John M stated in his report, this race is about attrition. It's either that or some badass solo break. You usually don't see a group roll off the front and go clear. I can't do solo breaks. Well I can, but you know, it doesn't work, so this made my favorite plan a no-brainer: SIS - sit in/survive! Since we had some serious wattage on board the MRC train, I was prepared to block for a potentially winning move, but as always with Battenkill, there were no successful breaks, minus the junior phenom who launched a solo attack and went clear while his buddies were probably back home suiting up for the prom. Mark worked his @$$ off at the front of the pack on pretty much every hard climb. I could see him chomping at the bit on Stage Road, just dying to fly clear, but holding back. Tom made the Perry Road climb fast and furious and Juniper, like Chris said, felt harder than normal. It's never easy, but it usually starts off slower, this time the pace was red hot leading into it, which made the steep middle section brutal. It was here that I knew I brought my climbing legs because I started the climb mid-pack and made my way close to the front by the time we rolled over the top and hit the descent. Our group hammered Joe Bean. Mark was setting off fireworks at the front and all the youngbucks were keeping him close. A group was forming. I stayed in contact, but it wasn't easy. I have several years of Strava Battenkill data and this year's Joe Bean segment was almost 10 seconds faster at sub-six minutes. It was definitely one of those attrition moments. Some dropped riders did chase back on shortly after JB but things shattered again on Riddle - a dirt climb I'd never done before that really got my attention. I had to put in several digs over my limit to keep in contact on this one but recovered enough to feel pretty decent going into the last banger before the finish.
At this point everyone was talking about the young dude who was off the front. With maybe 10 miles of racing left I had a quick team talk with Chris, who felt as though no one in the pack would let one of our guys bridge up. He, Tom and Mark tested this theory. Chris was right and we were all together into the final climb with around 20 guys total. Mark's attack at the bottom was furious, and at first the youngbucks had no answer, but the day had caught up with him and the separations started happening. At first I was hanging but then I let a big window open. I thought I was done, but Chris, who was just behind me yelled his "No Gaps PJ!" and it was like that scene from the Wizard of OZ when the good witch magically sends Dorothy back home, and poof! I'm attached again. But the climb still has another corner, uh oh. We're strung out on the final straight kicker over the top and the pace is still hot in pursuit of Hot Tubes McCormack (fools! Don't you know his DNA!?) Nope, none of them were born yet. We strung out and I mustered my last bit of energy at the top to regroup with seven others for the final showdown. With first place long gone and second too far up the road, it wasn't a chase, but a cat and mouse bit for the last podium slot. At this point my brain should have been telling me to launch well before the final corner into the fairgrounds because Chris always talks about this tactic (and he's done it - it works!), plus John R. mentioned something about the sprint in a report earlier, but 68 miles of punishing racing clouds your brain, so instead I took a lousy turn into the fairgrounds, lost the wheel I was on and ran out of road during the final dash to the line, which came up quick since it's basically a driveway. But I did beat one guy in the bunch sprint for 8th so there's that. It's frustrating I was right there in the mix for the podium and settled for 8th after making the selection that was hugely created by Mark, Tom and Chris' efforts all day, but that's bikes. Chris, thanks for breaking down the ages of the the top 10. I fake won the 35+/Cat 3 division. Where's MY glass bottle of chocolate milk?
Final note: great time hanging with the team before/after the race. Good times, even if our motel was a little scary!
Anyway...onto the report. As John M stated in his report, this race is about attrition. It's either that or some badass solo break. You usually don't see a group roll off the front and go clear. I can't do solo breaks. Well I can, but you know, it doesn't work, so this made my favorite plan a no-brainer: SIS - sit in/survive! Since we had some serious wattage on board the MRC train, I was prepared to block for a potentially winning move, but as always with Battenkill, there were no successful breaks, minus the junior phenom who launched a solo attack and went clear while his buddies were probably back home suiting up for the prom. Mark worked his @$$ off at the front of the pack on pretty much every hard climb. I could see him chomping at the bit on Stage Road, just dying to fly clear, but holding back. Tom made the Perry Road climb fast and furious and Juniper, like Chris said, felt harder than normal. It's never easy, but it usually starts off slower, this time the pace was red hot leading into it, which made the steep middle section brutal. It was here that I knew I brought my climbing legs because I started the climb mid-pack and made my way close to the front by the time we rolled over the top and hit the descent. Our group hammered Joe Bean. Mark was setting off fireworks at the front and all the youngbucks were keeping him close. A group was forming. I stayed in contact, but it wasn't easy. I have several years of Strava Battenkill data and this year's Joe Bean segment was almost 10 seconds faster at sub-six minutes. It was definitely one of those attrition moments. Some dropped riders did chase back on shortly after JB but things shattered again on Riddle - a dirt climb I'd never done before that really got my attention. I had to put in several digs over my limit to keep in contact on this one but recovered enough to feel pretty decent going into the last banger before the finish.
At this point everyone was talking about the young dude who was off the front. With maybe 10 miles of racing left I had a quick team talk with Chris, who felt as though no one in the pack would let one of our guys bridge up. He, Tom and Mark tested this theory. Chris was right and we were all together into the final climb with around 20 guys total. Mark's attack at the bottom was furious, and at first the youngbucks had no answer, but the day had caught up with him and the separations started happening. At first I was hanging but then I let a big window open. I thought I was done, but Chris, who was just behind me yelled his "No Gaps PJ!" and it was like that scene from the Wizard of OZ when the good witch magically sends Dorothy back home, and poof! I'm attached again. But the climb still has another corner, uh oh. We're strung out on the final straight kicker over the top and the pace is still hot in pursuit of Hot Tubes McCormack (fools! Don't you know his DNA!?) Nope, none of them were born yet. We strung out and I mustered my last bit of energy at the top to regroup with seven others for the final showdown. With first place long gone and second too far up the road, it wasn't a chase, but a cat and mouse bit for the last podium slot. At this point my brain should have been telling me to launch well before the final corner into the fairgrounds because Chris always talks about this tactic (and he's done it - it works!), plus John R. mentioned something about the sprint in a report earlier, but 68 miles of punishing racing clouds your brain, so instead I took a lousy turn into the fairgrounds, lost the wheel I was on and ran out of road during the final dash to the line, which came up quick since it's basically a driveway. But I did beat one guy in the bunch sprint for 8th so there's that. It's frustrating I was right there in the mix for the podium and settled for 8th after making the selection that was hugely created by Mark, Tom and Chris' efforts all day, but that's bikes. Chris, thanks for breaking down the ages of the the top 10. I fake won the 35+/Cat 3 division. Where's MY glass bottle of chocolate milk?
Final note: great time hanging with the team before/after the race. Good times, even if our motel was a little scary!
To climb steep hills requires a slow pace at first.
-Shakespeare
-Shakespeare
Re: Battenkill 2016
FLATTED ON MEETING HOUSE.
HAD FUN MEETING A LOT OF PEOPLE ON THE RIDE IN.
MORE FUN DRINKING IN THE BEER TENT WITH THE TEAM WHEN I FINALLY GOT BACK.
HOPEFULLY THIS RACE WILL HAPPEN NEXT YEAR. SEND YOUR CUDOS TO DRAKE.
HAD FUN MEETING A LOT OF PEOPLE ON THE RIDE IN.
MORE FUN DRINKING IN THE BEER TENT WITH THE TEAM WHEN I FINALLY GOT BACK.
HOPEFULLY THIS RACE WILL HAPPEN NEXT YEAR. SEND YOUR CUDOS TO DRAKE.
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kenchadwick
- Autobus
- Posts: 74
- Joined: Tue Jun 19, 2012 3:21 pm
Re: Battenkill 2016
CAT 4 50+
I'll make it short. No teammates in this one for me, but I found a lot of friends along the way. Meetinghouse, no problem. Stage, suffered bad, off the front group, Found at least 12 friends and we hammered a paceline perfectly and caught back up. Came off again on Juniper, same story to catch back up, but friends are dwindling. Came off for good on Joe Bean (some accelerations along the way left me at the back) but I was the best of my chase group, which I didn't know at the time, 'cause I was suffering. Ended up solo to just before Riddle where the rest of my chase group caught me (about 5). Rode away from them on Riddle, then they caught again (I kind of waited when I felt the wind). We hammered in a good 5 man paceline to the final dirt. I thought many times I wasn't going to stay in , but I did, and also did the most work of all the pacelining (never skipped a turn). Rode away from my chase group on the final dirt road and went as hard as I could for the final 1.5KM.
I'm disappointed I couldn't hang on, so close (It won't be long, I'm still improving noticeably each week), but I gave a very good effort the entire way and am pleased with that...
Ken
I'll make it short. No teammates in this one for me, but I found a lot of friends along the way. Meetinghouse, no problem. Stage, suffered bad, off the front group, Found at least 12 friends and we hammered a paceline perfectly and caught back up. Came off again on Juniper, same story to catch back up, but friends are dwindling. Came off for good on Joe Bean (some accelerations along the way left me at the back) but I was the best of my chase group, which I didn't know at the time, 'cause I was suffering. Ended up solo to just before Riddle where the rest of my chase group caught me (about 5). Rode away from them on Riddle, then they caught again (I kind of waited when I felt the wind). We hammered in a good 5 man paceline to the final dirt. I thought many times I wasn't going to stay in , but I did, and also did the most work of all the pacelining (never skipped a turn). Rode away from my chase group on the final dirt road and went as hard as I could for the final 1.5KM.
I'm disappointed I couldn't hang on, so close (It won't be long, I'm still improving noticeably each week), but I gave a very good effort the entire way and am pleased with that...
Ken
Re: Battenkill 2016
To add to John Morrissey's summary. Very slow in the begging and tame between the hills. It all came down to the last hill. Being a mt bike racer I'm used full gas in the beginning and then hanging on until the end. Being this was my fist road race I was a little too anxious to get the pace going. John was coaching me to hang back and not do as much work. I started to crack on the 2nd to last hill. Caught back up to the lead group but couldn't hang on the last hill. Lots to learn. Kuddos to John for crushing it at the end. I'll take a 10 for my first go at this.
Re: Battenkill 2016
Sprinter... yeah, I'll go with that. First time doing the course, and not at climbing weight. Cracked at the top of Meeting House which meant I was no help for anyone. Decided to do a 58m tt instead. Couldn't hold Len's wheel as he and a friend chased back after their flats... probably because I was chasing hoping to catch someone up ahead, instead of just cruising waiting for others from behind.
I was caught by the 50+ field between Juniper and Joe Bean... sat in until the climb and then I couldn't hold their race pace... or the open 4s, or the 40+ 4s... rolled in 32m down totally smashed but still maxed out all watts > 5 min long. So a nice (though expensive) training day.
I was caught by the 50+ field between Juniper and Joe Bean... sat in until the climb and then I couldn't hold their race pace... or the open 4s, or the 40+ 4s... rolled in 32m down totally smashed but still maxed out all watts > 5 min long. So a nice (though expensive) training day.
Re: Battenkill 2016
Great reports from all. Sounds like a fantastic day of racing. Need update from the women's team
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Thomas Coleman
- Domestique
- Posts: 100
- Joined: Fri Jan 15, 2016 3:58 pm
Re: Battenkill 2016
What can i say that all ready hasn't been said about the cat 3 race. Well first of all i came into race ready to race it with wreckless abandon. Mark hit the nail on the head about the feelings of tension at the front of the group. And its where I spent almost the whole race. The feeling of racing on gravel really fast took a bit to get used to, meetinghouse road was a shock to the system. And i was all tence and almost went down... But once I calmed down and loosened up it was all good. I threw a hail mary that I didn't think was going to stick but it was going to cause some hurt into perry road and juniper swap. Then got cause on juniper swams steeps which hurt like hell trying to fight it out. The group was slowing whittling down. I was slowing starting to fall off on joe bean after being in the wrong place going up the climb i was in the back and had to dodge guys that were popping left and right so using the extra energy to get around them wasn't ideal. Then my nemesis riddle rd came and a fell off a bit with chris and we were able to chase back on but i had my doubts about the final climb after spending so much energy at the front and attacking. So within the last few miles I didn't what any reasonable person would do and attack again this one I really didnt have much left but as I turned around and saw everyone blocking i gave it a go. But im assuming the peloton wasn't cool with that and i got caught. And the final climb was fun to watch Chris, PJ and Mark hammer it out. I was good till the last turn then gaps opened and i was finished slowly rolling back to the fare grounds all by myself.
Re: Battenkill 2016
We can't have race radios but no one said anything about BobbleheadsMarkMiller321 wrote: I really needed a Jeremy bobble head on my bars telling me to relax.
Re: Battenkill 2016
Great job everyone!!!! MRC is just killing it this year!!
http://petethetalbot.photoshelter.com/g ... i5IZL0pkqg
http://petethetalbot.photoshelter.com/g ... i5IZL0pkqg
Re: Battenkill 2016
Women's 3/4:
The MRC women's team was out in full force for the last Battenkill race. Sharon, Karen, Jen, and Sarah lined up along with 46 other riders for the last race of the day.
The race started off tranquilly. After Meeting House Road, the pack split up. All 4 MRC riders were in the lead group of 11. Karen added to her domestique role by taking on coaching duties and organizing a paceline among the break so we could extend the lead and make it impossible for the chasers to catch them. While Karen kept everyone working together, Sharon made sure everyone was happy and having fun, shouting a few “yeehaws!” from time to time.
Two riders pulled off the front on the Stage Road climb. Sharon trailed them, but they rejoined the group, working back into the paceline. It quickly became clear that they were strong climbers and working together.
The group rolled along until about the halfway point where, on one of the hills, the same 2 riders climbed off the front. The group decision was to keep them in our sights dangling out at about 30sec off the front hoping they would tire out. This was not the best idea, though; because it turned out they would gain more on the climbs than the group could close on the descents and flats.
After the Rich Road climb, the MRC women knew that it was 'do or die' time, in order to succeed in having Sharon win this race, something needed to be done. With most of the pack severely fatigued, Sarah tried to get the MRC women to lead the chase, but it wasn't to be. Sharon started getting nervous and rode off the front. Sarah decided to catch up to Sharon and gave her a 5-km leadout to the bottom of the Joe Bean Road climb.
Sarah rocked that leadout, and yelled at Sharon to *sprint* up Joe Bean Road. Sprint? Sharon is not a sprinter. However, she likes a good chase and having done exactly that for the entirety of last year’s Battenkill, due to a crash, she was pretty familiar with what she was in for. She kept looking for the lead 2 riders but everyone she rolled into were only fondo folks, and she could not spot them ahead. Unfortunately, somewhere on the River Road section, someone had crashed, and she was directed to pull over for the ambulance. That was a bummer, though probably just a few seconds, but she was feeling a bit defeated. She got going again and hit the last dirt climb but had no snap to power up it. Thankfully, after saying “hi” to a Blue Hills Road Club rider, he shouted back at her to “pick it up!” That was exactly what she needed. She even passed 2 Pro1/2/3 women (who looked like they were just out for an afternoon jaunt.) Coming into the flat, the official told her she was still 2:15 behind the leader, and she chatted with him a bit, which helped her keep it together. Sharon worked to close the gap, sighting Leslie Robinson’s flashy kit from time to time. Once again, Sharon forgot to stand for the final sprint - but at least she got into the drops – and was very surprised that she finished only 12 seconds behind Leslie.
Back to Sarah: After launching Sharon up the hill, Sarah sat up, exhausted, and waited for the pack to arrive. However, after cresting the hill very slowly and seeing no sign of the pack, she began to suspect that the team's strategy was working. On the descent, the motor indicated that she had 2 minutes on the pack, so she decided to try to solo for the 4th place. She did just that, finishing 2 minutes behind Sharon and 2 minutes ahead of the pack.
Meanwhile, Karen and Jen's pack was now down to 5 riders. It was clear to Karen that these women were strong and could still likely drop her, but she thought that Jen might have a shot at taking them all on the final climb. But Karen didn't realize how much Jen was already suffering. This is when she explained to Jen that the best chance of team success was to do some blocking and just sitting in while the others in the group did the bulk of the work. This was a new concept to Jen and thanks to Karen's persistent coaching it started to sink in. Ultimately, not only were they successful in preventing the pack from catching Sharon and Sarah, they also managed to balance just enough work to keep the ensuing riders (another group of 5 working together) from getting too close. This strategy enabled Karen to place 7th and Jen, 8th.
Having thought we got 3rd, 4th, 8th, and 9th places, we were surprised when both Sharon and Sarah's names were called for the podium for 2nd and 3rd place! It turned out that the winner of the race was, in fact, a junior, so all of our places were bumped up by a spot! We will be definitely watching out for this talented junior in races to come.
Overall this was a great race and a very positive start to the season for the MRC women. Huge shout out to Dan, Ripley, and Marge for their support before, during, and after the race!
The MRC women's team was out in full force for the last Battenkill race. Sharon, Karen, Jen, and Sarah lined up along with 46 other riders for the last race of the day.
The race started off tranquilly. After Meeting House Road, the pack split up. All 4 MRC riders were in the lead group of 11. Karen added to her domestique role by taking on coaching duties and organizing a paceline among the break so we could extend the lead and make it impossible for the chasers to catch them. While Karen kept everyone working together, Sharon made sure everyone was happy and having fun, shouting a few “yeehaws!” from time to time.
Two riders pulled off the front on the Stage Road climb. Sharon trailed them, but they rejoined the group, working back into the paceline. It quickly became clear that they were strong climbers and working together.
The group rolled along until about the halfway point where, on one of the hills, the same 2 riders climbed off the front. The group decision was to keep them in our sights dangling out at about 30sec off the front hoping they would tire out. This was not the best idea, though; because it turned out they would gain more on the climbs than the group could close on the descents and flats.
After the Rich Road climb, the MRC women knew that it was 'do or die' time, in order to succeed in having Sharon win this race, something needed to be done. With most of the pack severely fatigued, Sarah tried to get the MRC women to lead the chase, but it wasn't to be. Sharon started getting nervous and rode off the front. Sarah decided to catch up to Sharon and gave her a 5-km leadout to the bottom of the Joe Bean Road climb.
Sarah rocked that leadout, and yelled at Sharon to *sprint* up Joe Bean Road. Sprint? Sharon is not a sprinter. However, she likes a good chase and having done exactly that for the entirety of last year’s Battenkill, due to a crash, she was pretty familiar with what she was in for. She kept looking for the lead 2 riders but everyone she rolled into were only fondo folks, and she could not spot them ahead. Unfortunately, somewhere on the River Road section, someone had crashed, and she was directed to pull over for the ambulance. That was a bummer, though probably just a few seconds, but she was feeling a bit defeated. She got going again and hit the last dirt climb but had no snap to power up it. Thankfully, after saying “hi” to a Blue Hills Road Club rider, he shouted back at her to “pick it up!” That was exactly what she needed. She even passed 2 Pro1/2/3 women (who looked like they were just out for an afternoon jaunt.) Coming into the flat, the official told her she was still 2:15 behind the leader, and she chatted with him a bit, which helped her keep it together. Sharon worked to close the gap, sighting Leslie Robinson’s flashy kit from time to time. Once again, Sharon forgot to stand for the final sprint - but at least she got into the drops – and was very surprised that she finished only 12 seconds behind Leslie.
Back to Sarah: After launching Sharon up the hill, Sarah sat up, exhausted, and waited for the pack to arrive. However, after cresting the hill very slowly and seeing no sign of the pack, she began to suspect that the team's strategy was working. On the descent, the motor indicated that she had 2 minutes on the pack, so she decided to try to solo for the 4th place. She did just that, finishing 2 minutes behind Sharon and 2 minutes ahead of the pack.
Meanwhile, Karen and Jen's pack was now down to 5 riders. It was clear to Karen that these women were strong and could still likely drop her, but she thought that Jen might have a shot at taking them all on the final climb. But Karen didn't realize how much Jen was already suffering. This is when she explained to Jen that the best chance of team success was to do some blocking and just sitting in while the others in the group did the bulk of the work. This was a new concept to Jen and thanks to Karen's persistent coaching it started to sink in. Ultimately, not only were they successful in preventing the pack from catching Sharon and Sarah, they also managed to balance just enough work to keep the ensuing riders (another group of 5 working together) from getting too close. This strategy enabled Karen to place 7th and Jen, 8th.
Having thought we got 3rd, 4th, 8th, and 9th places, we were surprised when both Sharon and Sarah's names were called for the podium for 2nd and 3rd place! It turned out that the winner of the race was, in fact, a junior, so all of our places were bumped up by a spot! We will be definitely watching out for this talented junior in races to come.
Overall this was a great race and a very positive start to the season for the MRC women. Huge shout out to Dan, Ripley, and Marge for their support before, during, and after the race!
Re: Battenkill 2016
Awesome.
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jmorrissey
- Domestique
- Posts: 207
- Joined: Thu Mar 18, 2010 1:01 pm
- Location: Ashland, MA
Re: Battenkill 2016
Here's some pretty good pics with some great MRC shots (not me)
http://www.shopbulmerphoto.com/2016-Tou ... attenkill/
The one thing my coach (@CortCramer) didn't prepare me for is my podium shot I look awkward but never being on the top step I hope that will come with practice (both hand should be up).
Also I realize when you sit in the pack there's no good pics of you.
The closest pic I could find is http://www.shopbulmerphoto.com/2016-Tou ... -rHZZS7c/A where the second place finisher is on the front (RCC) John S. sitting on his wheel and you can just make out my white MRC socks sitting on John's wheel
http://www.shopbulmerphoto.com/2016-Tou ... attenkill/
The one thing my coach (@CortCramer) didn't prepare me for is my podium shot I look awkward but never being on the top step I hope that will come with practice (both hand should be up).
Also I realize when you sit in the pack there's no good pics of you.
The closest pic I could find is http://www.shopbulmerphoto.com/2016-Tou ... -rHZZS7c/A where the second place finisher is on the front (RCC) John S. sitting on his wheel and you can just make out my white MRC socks sitting on John's wheel
Re: Battenkill 2016
Gongrats to Sharon and Sarah on the podiums. Great result all round for the teams first outing