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| Some of the best host housing all year. Yes we got massages! |
After several
weekends of traveling with the team to some big out of town races, I found
myself in town and eager to test out some good form in some local Texas races.
Luckily the Charter Reserve Stage Race would fall on my two-week break of travel. I raced in this race last year, and it was quickly becoming one
of my favorite stage races in the state. The format of the Charter Reserve
Stage Race (CRSR) is a road race, time trial, crit. Luckily I have always been
spoiled here with some great host housing. Being able to really relax in
between stages of a race can really make the difference needed in your recovery
between stages.
Stage 1
The start of the
road was very relaxed. Having a 32 person field (smallest field of the year so far) made the need for a
quick start unneeded. Mixed with the 7:30 am start that we had, I think most of
the group was still asleep.
I knew I really
needed to watch only handful of guys in this race. La’sport brought two strong guys with Matt Davis and Mire, Boneshaker had Heath and Sheehan, and Squadra
had Dave and Grant. As the race started to unfold there were a few attacks on
the first lap, but no one really wanted to commit to anything. As we approached
the start of the second lap I heard that there was a crash at the back of the
field. This crash included Heath. I gingerly sat in the field knowing that
there would be no reason to make anything harder then needed this early in the
race. The racers that crashed ended up catching the field at the start of the
second lap before we started to get to one of the harder sections of the
course. The attacks started to go down with Heath instigating after his chase
back on. As I was following about 5 riders behind him I heard the familiar sound of
a tubular flatting. I quickly looked up and saw Heath raise his hand. This time
he was out for the rest of the race. The attacks at this point of the race were
coming thick and quick. Many teams wanted to get in a break, and the pace did
not lighten up till then. I was attentive going with the moves, making sure no
gaps opened up. Eventually two guys got up the road. Mire from La’sport, and
an Austin Mobile rider.
As the gap
started to extend I knew that it was going to be a long shot to bring back the
early break. This was from the fact that there were so few riders. No one would
want to get a chase organized if it would mean taking away from his own
opportunity to win. I took this fact into my hands and made sure to only
attack. There was no chasing from me, I would use my efforts on the hills and the
harder sections of the course. I was very aggressive at the start of each lap
while the break was up the road. This was the only part of the course were the
road was going upward for more then just a minute or two. Several times I was
able to get separation from the pack. I knew I needed one more engine if I was
going to get across to the leaders. Who at this point were still out of sight.
I was pleasantly
surprised to find myself in a 10 person rotation at the front end of the pack at
the end of the third lap and the start of the last lap. I heard the announcer
say that we were within 30 seconds of the leaders. This was only good news. I
knew we had the momentum with this rotation and we could see the leaders up the
road.
However, the
moment we started that last lap, it was as if the fight was drained from the
legs of the chasers. Suddenly I found myself in a 3 man rotation. Grant,
Sheehan, and I. The sudden lack of chase from the pack made me a little frustrated.
I have no idea why some people bring back 45 seconds in half a lap working in a
large rotation, all of sudden stop working when the break gets in sight.
As the break
started to pull away again I patiently waited till the harder section of the
course. I would try one more hard effort and if I cannot get across to the
leaders I would sit in for the sprint. When I attacked, I did open up a nice gap
and started to bridge across to the leaders. But once the climb turned to a
decent I was slowly reeled in by a handful of riders who were more interested
in bringing me back, instead of the leaders. I went to the very back of the pack.
Last wheel. Here I would sit saving my legs for the bunch sprint to the line.
About halfway
through the last lap I saw a second rotation of about 8 riders start riding at
the front. I let them do their thing. I had given up on chasing the leaders. We
should have caught them many miles ago when we had a nice large rotation at the
start of the last lap.
During the final
5k of the race things started to pick up. I rode heads up and started to move
up towards the front of the group. Michael Sheehan at this point has flown the
coop and started a solo flyer for the line. As he was riding away from the
confused pack and I found myself near the front. I stayed out of the wind as best
as I could and made sure to not get behind anyone that looked like they may
cause an accident. As riders were jockeying for position we were picking up
speed. And with about 1k to go we caught one of the riders who was in the lead
group all race. At this point I knew I was sprinting for 3rd and a
podium. As we made it to the final 225 meters of the race I found myself
sitting 2nd wheel, with a slight up hill to the finish I was a
little closer to the front then I wanted. At this point I could feel the field
breathing down my neck. I decided it would be better to sprint earlier then
wait. I opened my sprint a moved to the right side of the road. I looked under
my armpit and could see the shadow of the field slowly coming around me. I kept
the cadence as high as I could and kept pushing for the line. I eventually kept
everyone at bay and won the field sprint. This put me in third in GC. Mire won
with about a 30 second lead, Sheehan finished in front of me by about 5
seconds.
TT
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| The results after TT |
The charter
reserve TT is one of my favorite time trials in the state. It is short, simple,
and very fast. I was very motivated to win this TT. I have not done a good time
trial at any race since 2012 and wanted to see what I can do. I made sure to
get a proper warmup and my bike was ready to roll. The only thing that was not
working was my SRM head unit. I was going blind. No speed, no time, no cadence,
no power.
The TT went very
well for me. I gave it a good go. As I crossed the finish line I feel like I
could have went maybe a little bit harder in the final mile. But I knew I put
in a great time.
I would find out
that night that I got in a three way tie for first. Wenger, Sheehan, and I all
did our times in 11:41.
Unfortunately they gave me the short end of the stick and gave me third
place out of the bunch.
They would end
up canceling the Sunday criterium because of the lightening and thunder that
would encompass most of the day. I was ready to race, There is nothing I like
more then a good wet criterium, and I felt like I could have moved up a single
place in GC if we raced in the rain. However racing in the storm that was
happening would have been impossible. I wound end up keeping my third in GC for
the stage race.
3rd
in RR, 3rd in TT, 3rd in GC.
I was really
hoping to turn one of those 3rds into a first. Especially in that time trial.
But Its amazing what a little bit of consistent training (no exams for a few
weeks) and a week off of travel can do to the legs on a weekend. This would end
up being my first real result for myself this season. I am going to take this
with confidense as I continue on with the long race season ahead. Next race
will be the Charlotte-Belmont
Omnium in North Carolina.
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| No crit got me home early to hang out in China town with the one and only Alan (Ting). This is my post dinner dog hypnotism |
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