REGIONS RACE REPORT & RANT

This past weekend marked the 5th Edition of the Regions Bike Race weekend and the unofficial opening to our competitive cycling calendar. For the majority of SGC, the winter has been way too long, cold, and wet, so it was good to toe the line and get it on.

Josh and I were the only two who made the decision to compete in the Time Trial in frigid temperatures. Josh had an 8:37 start and I had an 8:39 start. It was 33 degrees. Josh finished 2nd and I finished 12th. There were only about 16 in our category. I was about 16 seconds off my time from two years ago, which over two miles equates to around -1.4 mph difference. Josh on the other hand averaged 26.1 mph.

Immediately after the finish, the cold air that had saturated our lungs seemed to do an about-face. My chest ached. I began coughing like a college student who’d just hit a bong for the first time. We rode back in to town to Krispy Kreme to cool down. (No, we didn’t stop and get doughnuts. The HOT NOW sign wasn’t on.) We got back to our team area, got comfortable, and popped a beer. It was 9:30 am.

The Cat4 Criterium was set to go off at 2:10. I used to love crits; now I can’t stand them. I especially can’t stand them early in the season. My body’s not used to the explosive accelerations required to stay in the front to be competitive. On top of that, I was worried about a pedal issue that really isn’t an issue unless I’m trying to get engaged in the pedal quickly. In order to be in the front, you have to get on the pedals quickly. Josh, Steve, Ray, and I took our spots on the front row. 4 seconds after the horn, I was in the back, still trying to get in my pedal.

I spent 3 laps chasing and trying to make up positions. Every time I made up ground, I’d get closed down on a corner and shot back to the rear. That’s the nature of crits. I tried in vain to get back to the front for three laps. On the fourth lap I decided enough was enough. “They don’t give awards for effort.” Steve hung in for several more laps before he saw me on the side of the road. That was his cue to abort. Josh played on the front for a while, but a key break got away and left him with no allies in the group. He finished fourth in the bunch sprint to take 7th and Ray held in to take 13th.

Everyone settled into relax mode for the rest of the day, except me. I hung around long enough to watch Cadence participate in the kid’s race then humped it home to clean up and head for Columbus for another basketball game. We won in OT. I drove home paranoid due to the 20-something deer I counted along the roadside. I got in bed at 1:25am. Race time Sunday was 9:03am.

Another cold morning greeted us as we geared up for the road race. I chose to warm-up on my trainer because I didn’t want the wind in my face. The warm-up work, but it made getting on the road that much colder. My plan for the day was to stay at the front, animate the race if possible, help Josh, and be in the mix at the end. Everyone seemed in pretty good spirits. Woolard joined us for his first RR. Mark Miller toed the line with Ray for the PCP. The call was made to combine the Cat4s and 5s. 9:20 start-time. We’re off.
As planned, I went straight to the front on Mossydell. I surged and led the group up the first rise in order to stretch the group. Ten or fifteen of us maintained the front on to hwy195. The pace dropped at one point and I decided to surge to see what would happen. When I pulled off, I was followed by only one rider. We had about a 60m gap and he was eager, but it was way too early in the race.

The pace stayed constant until New York Road. Then, the race took a typical Cat4-5 race shape. Braking downhill, surging up hill, and speed slow enough that everyone is bunched up with nowhere to go. Steve did some screaming and cussing and managed to get to the front for a few rotations, but then found himself back with me.

As we turned onto Mossydale for the finish the pace quickened and several attempts were made by some to get off the front. I could see that Josh was still in good position. I knew that a win for me was out of the question, so I went into self-preservation mode. Steve and I picked up positions as riders were unable to hold pace. I screamed at Mark to take a gap that had formed up the right and he managed to squeeze up several places. The final push to the line was more of a formality than a necessity from our position, but it was a relief to pass safely across the line.

Josh finished 3rd with a tremendous dash to the line. Ray finished 7th and Steve and I finished 15th and 16th respectively. Mark finished 2nd in the Cat5 race and Woolard rolled in 24th.

The numbers were down this year but the event was still a success. Everyone I talked to after the race enjoyed the accommodations and race courses. Everything was on time and ran smoothly. The folks at Swagger ran a great race and Lisa Riddle with the Chamber of Commerce organized a fantastic event. An enormous THANK YOU goes out to everyone involved.

On that note, I feel the need to vent for a moment. We had several local racers choose to not compete in our home event, but rather drive to Florida for a race. The Regions Bike Race Weekend is not only the second biggest money maker for our community; it is the second biggest money maker for our individual sponsors. It is also the only opportunity each year to display our sport in a positive, organized manner. No matter the reason, choosing to compete elsewhere is completely unacceptable. The problem is, none of these individuals helped bring the race to Albany and they could care less if the race survives or is discontinued. None of these individuals are concerned with anything or anyone but themselves. Their actions are an insult to their sponsors, to Lisa Riddle and the Chamber, and to the Albany cycling community. I competed in this event without training, without fitness, without time, and without a desire to race on the road, but I did it anyway. I competed solely to support the event, the people who worked so hard to organize it, and to acknowledge our local sponsors who support cycling and our team. This is the only venue they get to easily see us in action. I don’t care what the reason. Your reasons and actions are wrong, but not surprising. The only loyalty you have is to yourself, which at some point is all you will be left with. Thank you to Mark, Ray, and Chip for your participation.

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