As I didn't get in enough races this year, I figure I would take the ride up for this one.

Anybody familiar with the course? Circuit, Kickass crit with hill?

The cat 4 field has about 7 spots left and I'm thinking on jumping in.

Any info would be aprrceiated.

Thanks in advance

http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=14185

looks like one of Alan Atwood's races..

course description http://www.jamestownclassic.org/pdfs/course_map.pdf

I'm diving in.

6 spots left in the 4s as of 10:20

I've done this 2x in years past. If I remember correctly, it's a ten mile circuit with rolling terrain that circumnavigates Jamestown Island. The race gets one half of what is for the most part a fairly wide road -- yellow line rule. Definitely feels like more of a "road race" than a crit. There is only one section, soon after the start, where the pavement is not in good shape. Othewise it's a smooth course.

Last time I raced there was 5+ years ago, so assuming it's the same course, running in the same direction, the two strategic course features are:
(1) Roughly half way through each lap you get to the lighthouse at the end of the island. As you round the tip wind shift is vicious here. Do not get tailed off the group here or much as one can at Floyd you can permanently lose contact with the group here. Presumably, if you have the strength and a others willing to work this would be a good place to make a break work happen since the pack tends to get disorganized and scattered as the wind shifts.
(2) The only hill of consequence starts just before he finish leading into a short descent with a sweeping into into the finish line. Save strength for that climb (which if I remember correctly might be big ring-able) because that's where the whole race often blows apart

The two times I have raced there the group stayed together until the last climb mentioned above at which point anyone with strength remaining sprints for the top of the hill and then down into the downhill finish.

It's a well-organized usually-safe race.

It's right over a bridge from Newport so if you want to stay in Newport and make a tourist weekend of it that can be fun.

I think JP may have raced here in the distant past so perhaps he'll weigh in as well.

Nice Neil,

Thanks for the feedback. I might just stay in Newport.

I'm in for the 4's. Instead of the masters. Next year I get bumped into the next age group up, so the usual age group torture will get deceptively easier! (and I know quite well the deception).

Rick,
The going out there is pretty easy. It's the coming back that's hard. I think I've been twice and I think it took something like five or six hours to get home. The culprit is holiday traffic on I-95.

Neil has the course about as I remember. Basically, you do laps of the entire island. You start in a pretty downtown area by the water, like by Canonicus ave and Lincoln st, and then you head north along EAst Shore Road and then take North Main Road back, and then go out to the lighthouse and back.

The finish is hard because it comes after a downhill and a turn. I doubt breakaways succeed, even though the course is pretty windy.

You need to be in front or close to it by the top of the climb, then there's a left turn leading to the downhill finish. It's hard to catch anyone on the downhill. Give it everything to get to the top first. Not a hard climb, more of a long gradual one. I did it years ago. If it's the same course, both Neil's and JP's descriptions are correct.

Thanks guys,

I'll try my best at staying near the front with each lap on the climb.

traffic wise, maybe I can skip some of the torture as I would turn early hopefully to go west. If not, I'll just deal with it.

I love this race. Picturesque. Nice circuit with a quick crit-like section. A little bump to separate the men from the boys before the downhill finish. Worth the drive.

I just reg'd for the 35+.

Jeff... come fly with me.

the fields suck. I'm out for 5 more years.

Is this race really on a Monday?

Oh yellow line rule, will you ever get the respect you deserve?

This is one of the most picturesque races around. It's two 19 mile laps of a pretty flat and windy circuit with a few slightly challenging sections to keep you honest. They should probably add another lap. Things would get interesting then. Two times around feels too easy.

My plan was to sit in, let the group chase anything that looked dangerous down, and launch a counter somewhere towards the latter half of the second lap. That didn't happen. A group got away early and the field couldn't seal the deal on the chase when it counted. We kept them close, close enough to bridge at one point, but that wasn't my plan. I kept waiting for the final surge, but they got clear in the last 10 miles and the chase softened.

I've struggled with patience as a racer. Despite the game plan falling apart in the end, I feel like this was a victory in the sense that I didn't panic and stuck to the plan throughout. I'm pretty psyched about being able to follow through on that. I feel like this is critical building block towards becoming a better racer.

Jeff Condon raced well.

^well heard on the Patience.  I need me somma that.