Purgatory Race Reports – June 12, 2011
June 15, 2011 By jdevarennes
Doug Aker – Men’s Cat 5
The cold, rainy weather was on my mind in the days leading up to the race. I was sure my lucky string of thirteen races without rain was going to be broken on Sunday. Lots of thoughts about what to wear. The Men’s Cat 5 race was an 11:05 start. Nice change from the early morning Wayne Elliot Memorial start. Got to Sutton at 9:30. Got my number. Warmed up for 30 minutes on my trainer (one thing I’m getting better at is not overdressing during the trainer warm-up). Temperature was 54 degrees at 10:00. Heavy mist, but I knew from earlier weather reports the rain was moving East. Decided while warming up that I would layer, but wear no raingear.
Arrived at the staging area 10 minutes before the start. Met Chris earlier while picking up my number, and Pete while warming up, and Jonathan at the start. Four NEBC Cat 5 in this race.
Now, you might think after promising myself to get to the first or second row of every race start, that I’d be there at the very front at 11:05. But I actually lined up about two-thirds back, and that was my biggest mistake of the race. I guess after riding the preview ride two weekends prior, I thought I would have a chance to move up to the front during the neutral start as I had done at Wayne Elliot, but in this case, the roads were too narrow. When the race began with the left turn onto the turnpike I was in the back half of the pack, and suffering throughout most of the first 11-mile lap from the exaggerated yo-yo’ing that happens in that part of the pack. Again, with the narrow roads, there was little chance for a not-too-daring rider like myself to improve my position, and race officials were enforcing the yellow line rule very strictly (not just honks from the trailing car, but a guy on a motorbike yelling too). I also had the Wayne Elliot entire field disqualification on my mind (for multiple center-line infractions).
Towards the end of the first lap, I saw two guys attack and separate themselves from the main group. One guy was trying to bridge. With about three miles left in the first 11-mile lap, I was dropped.
At the start of the second lap, I found myself back on the turnpike with one guy, “Bike Barn,” just in front of me. Ahead of us, two more riders, one of whom I could see was my buddy Ed Mendoza, NEBC last year, but riding for Central Mass Cycling this year. And ahead of that pair, one more racer. Seen this setup several times in races past. Cat 5 riders strung out and not working together. Managed to catch up to Ed, and firmly suggested he and I take charge to form a five man chase group. And hey, for once it worked!, but only after five miles of Ed and I barking orders to the other three riders: “Bike Barn,” “Rabbit,” and “Red.” At the start of the third and final 11-mile lap we caught “Screaming Yellow.” And eventually another rider as well. With a little less than a lap to go, there was seven in this “race within the race.” Now it was just a question of when the “working together” would stop, and the racing begin.
With about three miles left, “Red” launched a modest attack, hoping (I think) to get to the base of the final hill on Lackey Rd. before the rest of us. With two miles to go, with “Red” still clearly in sight, I yelled to Ed that we better launch our own attack or “Red” will succeed. With “Bike Barn” following us, Ed and I traded 20 second pulls to bridge up to “Red” just as we all made the final right turn onto Lackey Rd. Surprisingly, “Red” had enough to contest the finish with Ed, but Ed just beat him to the line. I was super tired, and so was “Bike Barn.” We battled up the hill and I nipped him at the line. The three others in the chase group finished a minute or two behind us.
Well run race. Good signage. Lots of parking and Porta-Johns. Friendly, helpful race officials. Nicely executed neutral start. Marshalls used big, bright orange flags to direct racers. To my knowledge, no crashes.
Jonathan Sainsbury – Men’s Cat 5
Sunday was supposed to be a little warmer, but wasn’t. It was dry though. Kind of hoped for rain to help my odds.
Ankle sprain is still tender. I tried to not stand on the pedals much. Taped the ankle tight.
This race was all about the hill and time trialing. No strategy or group work for me.
Long neutral start. Moved toward the front. Stayed there until the first hill. My hill climbing is not fast. Really need to work on it. Anyway, then I was mid-pack until The Hill. Starts at 12% then tapers to 9% average for a mile. I couldn’t hold on to the pack.
Second lap: passed some guys, stuck with three of them. I was pushing on the downhill. Dragged three guys with me. I love descents. Also figured it was my best chance to make up ground. Got to the hill and was dropped.
Third lap: Confident to catch them. Unfortunately, My front derailleur was not cooperating to get back into the big ring. Took me most of the lap to catch the small group I helped create. At a blinking intersection, a line of cars passed me. Some drove in the right hand gutter. Left me nowhere to go. Could see one car further up had a right turn signal on. So, I rode the yellow centerline through the intersection. Apparently I was allowed to do this. The marshal just yelled to keep going.
Finally caught the little group of three guys. Past them. It was toward the end of the last lap. No reason to work with them. Again, spurred them to ride harder. Even dropped one on the hill. Though he caught me just before the line. We had to sprint for 29th place. I got him. Happy for the little things. Worked hard for it.
