Just putting it up there: Masters 45+ with Len, Rich, and Ronald G.
End of 2nd lap, riding the yellow line just before Lackey. Feeling good. A guy (Linen Team) swerves left from at least 3 feet to my right for no apparent reason. His skewer goes right into my front spokes. Loud cracking/pinging sound. Two spokes tear directly through my Zipp wheel. SRAM car goes past me, then has to come back. A few minutes go by. Pack gone. Race over. I stop to tell the story to my family at the top of Lackey and then ride two laps with some 545 guys who got dropped. Sucks both for the race as I had high hopes, as well as my wallet which will now be a bunch lighter.
Purgatory RR 2014
Re: Purgatory RR 2014
That sucks. Talk to Brandon at Landry's I think the wheel replacement is $400. Beware of bad riding
Re: Purgatory RR 2014
That sucks John.
Anyone know what's up with ghetto results on road results? Finish times don't correlate to positions.Len was 9th and Rich was 17th but with a faster finish time?
Anyone know what's up with ghetto results on road results? Finish times don't correlate to positions.Len was 9th and Rich was 17th but with a faster finish time?
Re: Purgatory RR 2014
Well, yes that stinks. But to quote smudger from a few years back when describing road racing -- "it's a f&$@$/@ lottery!" (Insert Scottish cuss word).
Re: Purgatory RR 2014
CAT 4
First time up Lackey hurt but was reasonable.
The second time I tried pack sliding. It still hurt. When we got to the top Scott and I were the last to make it up in contact. Behind us was a huge gap and a number of stragglers desperately trying to regain contact. Note to self: don't try sliding again on the next lap, I might not be so lucky as to catch the tail again.
Third time up I had to dodge a guy who's chain dropped, but I managed to get to the top about 10 back from the front. There was a solo break attempt though that we chased in fits and starts. The break was out of sight and Jacob was spending a lot of time on the front. I moved up to the front after the turn onto Mendon road and kept the pace high until the start of the descent. A couple guys pulled though and I slotted in in 3rd for the descent. They were a little slower than I wanted in the turns on the descent but I wasn't sure if I could get past them before the next turn. I moved back up to the front and kept the pace up when it flattened. When we turned onto Barnett the break was back in sight, so I eased up and settled back into the group. Soon we were all back together, and the pace relaxed.
It's funny how much I like downhills more after the California trip. Thanks guys.
Going into the turn onto Lackey for the last time I was about 9th. In previous laps it was easy to move up just before the hill, but this time people were spread across the road.
I did ok on the first wall, but started slipping back as the hill went on. Jacob made me feel a little better by pulling up along side me and panting dramatically for a couple seconds, then he drifted back again. I was out of contact with the lead bunch of 12 when I hit the last wall. Patrick Collins went by me then, so I did what I could to try and stay with him.
He finished 13th, I got 14th.
First time up Lackey hurt but was reasonable.
The second time I tried pack sliding. It still hurt. When we got to the top Scott and I were the last to make it up in contact. Behind us was a huge gap and a number of stragglers desperately trying to regain contact. Note to self: don't try sliding again on the next lap, I might not be so lucky as to catch the tail again.
Third time up I had to dodge a guy who's chain dropped, but I managed to get to the top about 10 back from the front. There was a solo break attempt though that we chased in fits and starts. The break was out of sight and Jacob was spending a lot of time on the front. I moved up to the front after the turn onto Mendon road and kept the pace high until the start of the descent. A couple guys pulled though and I slotted in in 3rd for the descent. They were a little slower than I wanted in the turns on the descent but I wasn't sure if I could get past them before the next turn. I moved back up to the front and kept the pace up when it flattened. When we turned onto Barnett the break was back in sight, so I eased up and settled back into the group. Soon we were all back together, and the pace relaxed.
It's funny how much I like downhills more after the California trip. Thanks guys.
Going into the turn onto Lackey for the last time I was about 9th. In previous laps it was easy to move up just before the hill, but this time people were spread across the road.
I did ok on the first wall, but started slipping back as the hill went on. Jacob made me feel a little better by pulling up along side me and panting dramatically for a couple seconds, then he drifted back again. I was out of contact with the lead bunch of 12 when I hit the last wall. Patrick Collins went by me then, so I did what I could to try and stay with him.
He finished 13th, I got 14th.
-Chris Busick
Re: Purgatory RR 2014
Lap three, dangling off the back feeding on the descent, the guys up front (MRC apparently) were pushing the pace and really strung things out. Huge gaps opened up on the back stretch big ring power climb and I was surfing wheels to maintain contact. Motocade came around to fill a void, things flattened out, and a Stampede guy was pointing at his rear wheel as he came up the outside gutter. I latch on and exchange 30 second efforts. Another dude jumps in and the three of us manage to catch back on after a huge amount of work. Coming into Lackey road with some heat and everyone was fairly close together. I could see Chris and Jacob a few wheels up. Everyone was laboring and I was really deep into the pain cave looking down at my Garmin... a 5th sense said to look up and a dude stopped right in front of me with a dropped chain and unfortunately I had to put a foot down because I made contact. Quickly tried to gather myself, but the group was riding away. I rode like a bat out of hell trying to catch back on, but accepted my faith. Officials in follow car commended me for staying up right and were off. Lap 4 was a mix of solo TT and riding with stragglers and just finishing the race. Hard race and kudos to Green Line Velo for putting on such an awesome, well run race.
Re: Purgatory RR 2014
Glad I could help with my dramatic panting!
I didn't fall down today, so I'm calling that a successful finish to the first half of my season. I did, however, almost fall down when I hit something and my right hand lost the bars. I went very crooked but kept it upright. There was a nasty gash on my thumb that bled impressively all over my hand, dripping down onto my leg too! Bad ass! It didn't hurt much, but it was a little distracting. That was somewhere on lap 3.
I hung in until the final climb which was a big improvement from last year (not saying much!). I've been taking it easy for two weeks to un-bum my bum leg and this was only partially successful. I'm going to rest another week and the hit the reset button on training for 2014 part 2. 18th place.
I didn't fall down today, so I'm calling that a successful finish to the first half of my season. I did, however, almost fall down when I hit something and my right hand lost the bars. I went very crooked but kept it upright. There was a nasty gash on my thumb that bled impressively all over my hand, dripping down onto my leg too! Bad ass! It didn't hurt much, but it was a little distracting. That was somewhere on lap 3.
I hung in until the final climb which was a big improvement from last year (not saying much!). I've been taking it easy for two weeks to un-bum my bum leg and this was only partially successful. I'm going to rest another week and the hit the reset button on training for 2014 part 2. 18th place.
Re: Purgatory RR 2014
Got in at midnight from a ski club lobster dinner Saturday evening in Maine then got up at five to get stuff together for the race - not exactly a recommended pre race ritual.
Felt sluggish and tired first lap and hung out at the back of the pack. Moved my way up to the middle during the second lap and actually was feeling pretty good the third lap. Tried at some point to get in a break away, but there wasn't enough commitment and we quickly got reeled in. A breakaway did form sometime during the third lap which got away and although i tried to pull it back there wasn't any help, so for self preservation decided to sit in.
During the fourth lap prior to the hill i felt a couple of telltale twinges from the legs telling me that cramps were on their way. Made an effort to hydrate as much as possible, and they subsided temporarily. Definitely didn't feel great on the climbs - slow and not springy at all. Finally, fifth lap i had gotten into great position - about eighth when we started the rollers after the down hill. Cramps came back with a vengeance and i slid back to twenty fifth or more. I tried to work them out by alternating sitting and standing and it dids help, but i can tell if i dig too deep my legs are going to seize. As we go around the lake prior to the final climb i see the front group of ten or so riders has a decent gap and Len Engel is a bit back in a group of four. I've got some momentum so push it and give Len a pull up to the front group.
The final climb is agony trying to balance pushing hard enough to advance and not so hard my legs seize and i fall over. i manage to stay with an Arc En Ciel (sp?)
rider and pass him on the flat section on the top. He and one of his team mates makes a run for me at the finish, but I'm able to hold them off by a couple of inches.
I'm totally cooked at the end.
Would have liked to and should have done better in this race. Moral of the story - don't ride with racers after drinking with skiers. Purgatory aptly named.
Felt sluggish and tired first lap and hung out at the back of the pack. Moved my way up to the middle during the second lap and actually was feeling pretty good the third lap. Tried at some point to get in a break away, but there wasn't enough commitment and we quickly got reeled in. A breakaway did form sometime during the third lap which got away and although i tried to pull it back there wasn't any help, so for self preservation decided to sit in.
During the fourth lap prior to the hill i felt a couple of telltale twinges from the legs telling me that cramps were on their way. Made an effort to hydrate as much as possible, and they subsided temporarily. Definitely didn't feel great on the climbs - slow and not springy at all. Finally, fifth lap i had gotten into great position - about eighth when we started the rollers after the down hill. Cramps came back with a vengeance and i slid back to twenty fifth or more. I tried to work them out by alternating sitting and standing and it dids help, but i can tell if i dig too deep my legs are going to seize. As we go around the lake prior to the final climb i see the front group of ten or so riders has a decent gap and Len Engel is a bit back in a group of four. I've got some momentum so push it and give Len a pull up to the front group.
The final climb is agony trying to balance pushing hard enough to advance and not so hard my legs seize and i fall over. i manage to stay with an Arc En Ciel (sp?)
rider and pass him on the flat section on the top. He and one of his team mates makes a run for me at the finish, but I'm able to hold them off by a couple of inches.
I'm totally cooked at the end.
Would have liked to and should have done better in this race. Moral of the story - don't ride with racers after drinking with skiers. Purgatory aptly named.
Re: Purgatory RR 2014
In answer to the question about the results: I think the results in the Masters 35+ and Masters 45+ are completely garbled because some of the 45+ guys caught the 35+ field (5 min head start). It seems incredible to me that it would happen, but the 545 guys said that no one was really racing in the 35+ field until the end. There were some studs in both fields, but the 35+s must have all through they were good 2-3 min power guys and were saving it for the final hill. Watching the finish was weird because the 35+ and 45+ fields seemed intermixed.
Re: Purgatory RR 2014
Purgatory never fails to meet expectations of misery and pain. Lined up with Rich, John R and Ron. The field was strong but not close to the strength of the Harvard 40+ field. First lap was conversational except for the downhill behind the Chasm. No matter how many times I do this descent it always makes my hair stand up. It's fast and furious with rough road sections and the occasional driveway. Only one time in all those descents has someone pulled out of their drive as the race went through but that memory hasn't faded. Thus, on the first trip down I found myself close to last in the pack at the bottom. Second lap, I pulled up close to John and Rich. To Rich's great credit he resisted the temptation to lead the pack on the first lap but was unable to withstand the pull to pull by the second lap. I joined him close to the front for the last 5 miles of the lap and we hit Lackey close to the front. Somewhere around there a couple guys pulled away and, along with one guy who bridged, were never seen again. With my keen perceptive powers, was completely unaware of this fact and didn't find out until Jerry D told me after the race. I started to feel the initial twinges of let cramps toward the end of lap two and decided to stay in my seat no matter what and use smaller gears whenever possible. This helped until the 4th lap when my legs started to seize and as I headed down the descent one leg was completely knotted. I massaged it on the descent, taking up my comfy spot at the tail of the pack and biding my time. I moved up as we approached Lackey and tried to help Rich drive a break forward. A couple good attempts died for lack of support so I stayed in my seat and let the pack swallow me on Lackey. My legs were twitching but had not seized since the descent so I figured I'd continue this until the last possible moment keeping myself no worse than mid-pack. The speed of the last lap was very high and I fully expected to blow up but I nosed toward the front trying to gain the wheels of a small break. I couldn't quite do it until I heard Rich's voice, and a lot of wind, coming up behind me - "hop on, grab my wheel." Unfortunately, two other guys grab his wheel before me but I hold on for dear life. Rich gets us to the lead chasing group and there's maybe 15 or 20 of us as we start Lackey for the last time. The legs are still there so I hop out of the saddle and chase about 10 guys ahead of me. I plead with myself to be patient, that at least some of those guys will blow up before the top or will die in the sprint to the line. I round the bend for the last brutal section and, still feeling ok, shift up. I reel in a couple of guys and crest the hill with five guys in front of me. Two were too far gone but I'm out of my saddle still and sprinting with everything I have to catch the next three. I manage to pass Joe Rano and a Sunapee guy but ran out of real estate before Jerry D crossed the line. Of course, I thought this was the top finishers and feel pretty damn good about the outcome. Then I find that five others had gotten away.
I finished 9th overall and, because this race doubled as the MA State championships I managed to get the bronze medal for the 50+ crowd.
I might still be out on the course if it weren't for Rich pulling me to Lackey on the last lap. He showed restraint in not pulling the pack all over the course like he did last week at Harvard but he still pulled the pack more than any other single rider. And still had enough to make us competitive on the last lap.
Also, a shout-out to Ron and Nolan, who, after their races ended bolted to the feedzone where they provided vital liquid to MRC on our last laps. It was a great feeling to see our teammates at such a crucial time in the race.
I finished 9th overall and, because this race doubled as the MA State championships I managed to get the bronze medal for the 50+ crowd.
I might still be out on the course if it weren't for Rich pulling me to Lackey on the last lap. He showed restraint in not pulling the pack all over the course like he did last week at Harvard but he still pulled the pack more than any other single rider. And still had enough to make us competitive on the last lap.
Also, a shout-out to Ron and Nolan, who, after their races ended bolted to the feedzone where they provided vital liquid to MRC on our last laps. It was a great feeling to see our teammates at such a crucial time in the race.
Re: Purgatory RR 2014
3rd in the state. Pretty awesome Len.
Re: Purgatory RR 2014
Nice job Len, and everyone else who did this race. I rode out there yesterday to spectate for a little while and watching people slog up Lackey Rd. reminded me why I did this race once (and only once).
Re: Purgatory RR 2014
Sounds like everyone except JR had a good race. Len, it's been about 8 or 9 years since MRC nabbed some Masters state championship hardware. Nice work getting us back up there!
On Saturday's Landry's ride Chris B took us around the loop and I attempted to attack Lackey. I'd only done it once before and underestimated the length by about 150 meters. Minor implosion was the result. Must have been a lot more painful for you guys, though.
On Saturday's Landry's ride Chris B took us around the loop and I attempted to attack Lackey. I'd only done it once before and underestimated the length by about 150 meters. Minor implosion was the result. Must have been a lot more painful for you guys, though.