I rode the Masters 45s on Monday under beautiful skies and a great course (2 19-mile laps around the island). A bit of wind near the water but much calmer than it could have been. The 45s was packed, about 75 rider or so with the usual suspects looking to close out the road season with a good race.
It was a frustrating experience for me and I was on the wrong end of very good team strategy. While I didn't have much training in my legs I felt pretty good and the course was not terribly demanding. The first few miles was uneventful with a few breaks covered fairly quickly. About 10 miles in, a small group took off. I was in a bad position, squeezed in mid-pack. The road was narrow and the whole pack was basically together. This group, maybe 5 or 6 guys, got a gap in a few miles. The frustration began to rise as this group stayed within sight but the pack couldn't and didn't seem to want to close it. I tried to move up but it was slow going. As we came around the end of the first lap, before the climb but at the most windy point on the edge of the island a small group bolted the pack and appeared to get close to the pack. There was no reaction to the attack from the pack and again I was in a bad position and couldn't follow. The pack hit the climb and I moved close to the front. At the start of the 2nd lap I stayed in the front with about 5 or 6 guys and began to form an attack. We stayed within sight of the leaders but did not have enough to catch them and no one in the pack joined the attack. They stayed right behind us but never joined the work. Frustrated, I took off on a small climb mid-way through the 2nd lap and got a small gap. Within minutes I was joined by an Arc-en-ciel rider and a Keltic rider, both of whom had riders in the lead pack. This happened several times with me and a few other riders and every time another attack formed a few of these guys would join the attack and slow it down. By the middle of the last lap the leaders were gone and we were told more than 2 minutes ahead. The chases ended and the attacks to position for the final sprint began in earnest. Remembering the advice from PJ and Stefan I started looking for a good wheel to follow as we got close to the last climb, about a mile from the line. I did not want to lead the climb but was getting nervous that no one was going to take off. Thankfully a climber took off just after the start of the climb and I jumped on his wheel. Another rider came around us and just buried it to lead us over the top and got a small gap. I stayed behind my guy who didn't chase him and we were joined by 3 or 4 other guys as we began the slight descent into the left turn and the the steeper descent to the finish line. With about 6 of us in a tight group going into the turn two guys began their sprint and I jumped onto the 2nd wheel. No one came around me so I got a little too nervous and bolted past these 2 but a big guy jumped on my wheel and passed me with 50 meters. I stayed on his wheel but didn't have enough to get past him and took second in pack and 11th overall.
All in all, a frustrating experience. The pack was controlled by three of the teams with riders in the lead. The rest of the pack seemed satisfied with fighting for the line and not the win.
-Len