March 28th - Coxsackie, NY
Saturday was the day it seemed the entire New England region turned out to see how they would hold up racing against every other cycling nut who has been in the gym, on the trainer, and braving icy roads throughout the winter season. The weather was beautiful. Without leaves on the trees, the wind was formidable, but the sun was in full effect. 184 riders showed up for the day and three were represent'n Team SCARR / Ommegang. Anthony R. and Corey P (ages strictly private) were starting with the B Group, and Mike W. was starting with the C Group.
The C Group stayed together for the majority of the race with a good number being dropped off the back. The pace was fast with Favata's Table Rock Tours showing strong by dominating the front for the majority of the race. 4 riders broke off the front about 1/4 of the way into the second lap. Surprisingly, no one in the pack decided to chase. One of the four was pulled back in with the third holding strong because of pack posturing. Conserving energy for the sprint was the primary goal by this point, and after a large number in the sprint to the line, the numbers played out like this: http://www.bikereg.com/Results/2009/03/28-Johnnycake-Spring-Series.asp
The B Group became split into two groups early on with a few in between and quite a few off the back. The caliber of riders in the B Group was impressive. To Dieter Drake's credit, the B Group pack was being dominated by an up-and-coming Farm Team Rider. It was a treat to watch a young lad give the big boys a run for their money. In the end, there were two riders off the front who were well ahead of the pack when they came down to the line.
April 4th - Coxsackie
Saturday was shivering cold with high winds, drizzle, and total overcast. Warm up rides were brutal and avoiding the cold before the race was priority. 128 riders showed and 5 from Team SCARR / Ommegang were there representing. Anthony R. and Corey P. were styl'n with the B Group, and Eric G, A.J., and Mike W. were rock'n the C Group.
C Group was fast as usual, but this week there were more heavy hitters who came to play. With the high winds, the field became split fairly quickly and the lead pack stretched out in a lengthy line with no one wanting to be caught in it. Eric, AJ, and Mike were having a good time bouncing around in the pack until a fairly rough crash sent whoever was left hammering to the line. If you lost the pack at this point, all hope was lost of chasing them down. This is how it played out in the end: http://www.bikereg.com/Results/2009/04/04-Johnnycake-Spring-Series.asp--
We didn't get a chance to see the B Group finish because after our finish, we (AJ, Eric, and Mike) put in another 12 miles through some incredible roads with pretty nice hills right outside the event. This is when I realized I needed to pack in some serious intervals if I plan on keeping up with these two.
Michael Wentland http://catskillscycling.blogspot.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment