Albany, NY
The eastern Massachusetts twosome of Colin and Jason Beerman and the Vermont twosome of Eric and Jason Baer each endured a three hour drive at the crack of dawn to arrive in Albany, NY in time for the 10am race. The 27-man field that materialized for the category 1/2 race probably reflects the late season doldrums that seem to sweep over pramateur cycling each year. When the early mornings turn cold and mist hangs in the air, many racers seem to be at wits end, and field sizes shrink commensurately with the collective motivation. Or lack thereof.
In any event, the Kenda/Raleigh contingent was, as always, excited to slap some Greyhound Juice chamois cream on the nether regions and saddle up. This particular day involved a three-mile neutral section followed by four 20-mile loops, each featuring around 1,500 feet of climbing. The race guide didn’t include a topographic profile but mentioned that the steepest pitch was 15% for 900 feet. That meant pie plates on the rear cogs. And maybe an extra dollop of chamois cream.
The small field rolled out of the neutral section which ended as soon as the field crossed the finish line. It enabled a glance at the finish; roller coaster surges upward followed by a 300-meter hard man’s sprint. At the line, the racing began in earnest. With 27 guys, there was nowhere to hide so there was a good chance the move was to happen early. Targetraining had 7 or 8 guys in the race, and the success of any move off the front today was contingent on whether or not they were happy with the combination.
The course’s 1,500 feet of climbing seemed to happen within the first eight miles of each loop, and on lap one, the field broke into pieces as the pace picked up over the climbs. After the first trip over the ridiculously steep section (20% on the inside of the turn?), the field had already lost guys off the back. Over the top, the course descended for virtually the remainder of the 20 miles until hitting the finishing section, so a smaller group of around 18 or so had reorganized over the top. This rolled for a few miles until Beerman and Adam St. Germain from Targetraining got off the front into a headwind section. The two turned the corner and benefited from (a) the resulting tailwind, (b) reinforcements in the form of Al Donahue (Nerac) and Matt Purdy (North Atlantic Velo) and the foursome was rolling. A few miles later, a glance back revealed more reinforcements as Eric Tremble and Targetraining’s Justin Lindine joined up with the front of the race. Two Kenda/Raleigh and two Targetraining meant full commitment from everyone in the break, and the six rolled even turns, quickly opening up time on any chasers.
The situation remained the same for the next few laps; with the break out front for what promised to be 70+ miles, it was essential that everyone work well together. In addition, the 12-mile flat/descent portion featured a strong headwind and a small group or a solo rider stood no chance. With one to go through the finish, St. Germain’s cleat pulled out of his shoe, so the break was down to five and Lindine was on his own. The break motored up the climbs intact and hit the descent, still in alliance.
Beerman had been scouting an attack site on previous laps since, with two Kenda/Raleigh guys in the break, it was essential to put the other guys on the defensive, and hopefully catch them looking at each other. With eight miles to go, Beerman attacked into a headwind immediately before a right turn into a tailwind and got a gap. He rolled a hard pace, but was caught a couple miles later by a hard charging Lindine. Tremble countered, then Donahue countered, then Lindine countered, then Beerman countered, then Tremble countered, etc. until everyone’s legs seized up. At the bottom of the 1km-long finishing section, the group was practically doing trackstands until Lindine punched it and Donahue and Tremble responded. The three finished in that order across the line with Beerman and Purdy right behind.
Full results are here.