oh snapmugwump said:Coach Marc says this is the race for me. I'm on the fence as a result.
Ah man, I remember that!tito said:Srsly, this race is dope. Last time I did it I was still a 5, almost fell off my bike on the freezing-rain neutral descent due to uncontrolable shivers and bonked with 8 to go because of some early-morning stomach cramps that left me unable to fuel property. Mattio and William were trying to force-feed me oatmeal on the drive over to the race.Good times.
Quabbin is a fun race. I see why Norm loved it so much.
The short version of my race report:
Adam is funny, my field was safe, no moves got away, I contested the finish, and the finishing climb is a lot harder after 60+ miles of rollers.
The long version:
First, I have to note that I drove up with Adam N who is never at a loss for a good story. My favorite line of his last night was “I perform best with less clothes on.” He was referring to the forecast for chilly weather the next morning, but given that it was right before going to bed, I was a little nervous.
I survived the night without any trauma and we met up with Joe and Jeff to do some recon on the finishing climb. Holy crap! The pre-race descent was freezing! Fortunately, when the race started an hour later the temperature had warmed up and the descent was no problem.
I was in the 40+ 4/5 field. Probably should have been in the 3/4s, but my form has been off delayed due to a knee injury early this season and I didn’t think I stood a chance against some of the Cat 3 climbing monsters. Good thing I did as my field had 88 riders as opposed to the 143 in the 3/4 field. Large fields and narrow roads probably contributed to the crashes in that field.
A couple of teams patrolled the front and the race consisted of multiple repetitions of accelerations up hills, fast descents with some lulls thrown in for good measure. The climbs were not long or steep enough for serious separations and the descents brought everyone back together. The only time a break formed (around 45 miles after a slightly steeper climb), I bridged, but the group was not willing to work together and that was the end of the only break in the race. As the race progressed I started "feeling" the effects of the repeated climbs as my legs felt heavier after each effort.
In the end it came down to a bunch sprint as we climbed the entrance into the park across the expanse of the road. Not sure how much of the field remained. When we hit the last steep pitch about 1K from the finish I jumped with a group of about 6 that separated from what was left of the pack. I couldn’t maintain the speed and began fading. Adam was at the finish line cheering me on as what must have been a dozen riders passed me. There goes my pride.
In the end, no single climb was that difficult, but the accumulated effect was enough to make the final ascent a real challenge. I definitely recommend it.