GMSR 2014 - Masters 40+

[Rich]

Green Mountain Stage Race 2014
Master's 40+

This race is definitely one of the high points of my season. It's my most difficult race with the toughest competition. Four days of racing take you back and forth over the spine of the Green Mountains, from rocky mountain notches to lush river valleys and past red barns and pastures with cows and everything that Vermont has to offer. The racers are from up and down the east coast of the United States, but teams also come from Ottawa, Quebec, and Toronto. In the peleton French is almost as common as English. You start this race out fresh and excited and finish tired and sore. As i write this I have a bag of frozen corn behind one knee and a bag of peas behind the other.


Stage One - Individual Time Trial
Length- 5.7 miles
Sunny, windy, high 60s

The time trial starts with a short flat stretch of a couple hundred meters then climbs steadily without any let up for two miles at 5 to 7 percent grade. After two miles it continues up hill more gradually and rolls up and down for another mile before heading down hill at two to three percent for a couple more miles. At 5.2 miles there is a classic New England roller coaster type hill with a 7 percent descent and an equal climb up the opposite side. The finish is about 500 meters from the top, and although you think it's flat it is actually a 3 % leg burning, spirit breaking climb. I gained speed on the flat and tried to start the climb by keeping the rpms high and not pushing too hard a gear. That was the theory, but in practice it was steep enough that I alternated standing and sitting. The racer preceding me was Roger Aspholm, who i believe won the Master National Championship a few years ago. A good guy to chase - I only saw him once! As i topped the climb my legs and lungs were burning, but i was able to settle into a good rhythm and power down the descent. I free wheeled down the roller coaster descent and furiously spun at the bottom and began down shifting to keep my legs moving.
It worked and i was able to sprint to the top of the hill and then power through the finish, completely wiped out. Very satisified with the result, I finished 15th.

Stage Two- Bridges Resort Circuit Race
Length - 53 miles, 2.75 laps
Elevation gain - 700 feet per lap
Weather - dry, sunny, mid seventies with a 15 mph wind

The course is comprised of a nineteen mile loop with one major climb of about two miles. The roads are rolling, generally curvy and well paved with a long straight away with a gradual uphill to the sprint finish.
Racing started almost immediately after a significant down hill. Several teams staged faux attacks and the peloton covered all of them. I sat in the middle of group and tried to figure out who the players were and what teams they were on. During the climb starting the second lap a significant gap developed and a lead group of ten to fifteen riders formed on the top and charged down the four mile descent. The peloton was fractured from the climb and some time passed before any cohesion started on the descent. It became apparent that if not caught the front group would have effectively had a perfect break away. A chase group formed and we took turns drilling it downhill (52 mph). We caught them as the road flattened. A moral victory, but at a physical cost. Once caught everyone sat up and the rest of the peleton caught up soon afterwards. With about five miles to go i felt the telltale twinges of cramping and soon my left leg seized up. I think I screamed. I know I screamed. Absolute agony and frustration. I stood, I sat, i swore. Eventually the cramps moved around and receded. The peloton, thank God, had for some reason decided to really slow down in anticipation of the final sprint. It saved me. As we approached the last stretch i knew i had one effort before i was done so i attached myself to Miles Billings wheel and let him give me a ride. At 200m he swung left, clear of most of the chaos. Good choice, as he took sixth, but i could only muster 21st. Overall i was relieved to be able to stay with the group and not lose any time despite the cramps. Overall GC position 16th.

Stage 3- Mad River Road Race
Length - 64 miles
Elevation gain - 6357 ft
Weather - warm, low 70s, rain showers off and on

This is the queen stage of the race with two major climbs, the first up and over Middlebury Gap from East to West, then up App Gap from West to East with the finish at the Summit. Two sections of gravel, a screaming descent down Middlebury Gap, and the last 500 m at 20% up App Gap make this a classic. The peleton stayed together at a reasonable pace for the first twenty miles on Route 100 through the Mad River Valley, which is just an incredibly beautiful bike ride.
At mile twenty we took a right and began our approach to Middlebury Gap and unfortunately the civility did not last. Anticipating what was to happen, I moved up to the front eight or nine riders. The pace quickened and the peleton strung out, stretched, and snapped. Every man for himself. The climb started reasonably then became steeper and longer with not much rest. I found a good wheel to follow, someone a bit faster than i, but who i could hang onto and stayed with him to the top. The top flattens out and begins a gradual descent before the bottom drops out. i saw Miles Billings slightly ahead of me and caught up with him. A group of six formed and we stormed down the mountain. I sensed that another group of ten or so had already gone. We worked together launching each other down the newly paved and silky smooth roads. Yowzah! What a blast! Once down on the flats we organized into a paceline, but never caught the front group. As we approached Baby Gap at about 52 miles i felt the dreaded cramp twinge and resolved myself just to hang on for the last twelve. it was painful, but by alternating standing, sitting, sliding back and forth, i managed to hang on until the climb up App Gap proper started. At this point it was about survival and i couldn't hold onto the group. i did pass a couple guys, but mostly climbed alone. The last 500m of this climb which is at a grade of 20% is pretty incredible. You can look up and see the summit and the road which will take you there ascending next to a shear rock cliff. People line the way yelling and cheering and ringing bells. Very cool. Unfortunately i saw none of it - my head was down, just struggling to turn the pedals over one more time and not fall over. i finally crossed the line in 23rd position for the race, 20th in GC.

Day Four
This is a Crit?
Downtown Burlington
Temp - 90, sunny and humid
Length - 25 laps
Course - An "L" shaped two km loop with six 90 degree corners and one hill. Road surface includes asphalt, brick, granite slab and cobble stones.

This race has never gone well for me and this was not an exception. Tried to get a good jump and into the heart of the peleton, but was off the back to start and lost time at each corner. Straights weren't long enough for me to make it up and so i wound up time trialing for about nine miles until i was mercifully and unceremoniously pulled. Wah! Average speed (mine) was about 24 mph. Damn.

Anyway, final result was 24th in GC out of 48 finishers and 56 starters.

[jraguin]

Wow, great job in a very tough field. Great description too. I don't know, part of me wants to try one of these stage races, and part of me dreads the idea. The challenge is that they seem to fall on holiday weekends which is tough on the family.

[Rich]

Yeah, I can completely identify with the excitement vs. dread emotion and being away from the family on the holiday weekend is a bummer.
The saving grace for me has been that my son goes to UVM in Burlington, so I was able to go out to dinner with him on Sunday and lunch on Monday.
The Mad River Valley is a spectacular family destination with tons to do as well.

[JeremyC]

Solid result. I wanted to do it but ok with reading the reports