Grant’s Tomb Criterium preview

By Daniel McMahon

THE MOST ANTICIPATED of the early-season races in New York, Grant’s Tomb Criterium offers a fast and challenging course that over the years has seen its share of both successful breakaways and field sprints, all fought out on the streets a few blocks west of Columbia University on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.

A well-attended day of criterium racing, the Tomb draws riders from around the Northeast looking for some early spring racing, and those wanting to capitalize on their off-season training. At least two of the winners of last year’s races are now riding in the pro ranks.

And with the Tomb just around the corner,  I tracked down some of last year’s winners and well-placed riders to get their take on the race—and how to race it.

I asked select racers, from both the women’s and the men’s fields, from Cat. 4s to the pros, what they thought of their performances last year, what they think of the course, what if any mistakes they may have made, and what the keys to doing well in the race are. Here is what they said.

Kate Veronneau (Kutztown Cutters), 3rd in last year’s women’s Pro-1-2-3 race:

“I love Grant’s Tomb—it’s a great race to start the season. It has both technical and power elements in an awe-inspiring setting. You have to be on your toes because the course begs for a breakaway. I made a great push to get in the break, and the four of us worked well together to stay away. With [eventual winner] Laura Van Gilder in the break, I was pretty sure I could secure a 2nd place. I was shocked when a little-known Evelyn Stevens passed me at the line. It was a little reassuring watching her meteoric rise soon after. I’m curious what this winter has done to the course. I’m racing it again this year. Such a fun time and great competition!”

Evelyn Stevens (HTC-Columbia), 2nd in last year’s women’s Pro-1-2-3 race:

“It is a great race. I loved being able to race in NYC in the middle of the afternoon, and the fans were awesome! Columbia University does a great job putting the race on. Key to doing well is riding smart and going with the right moves. Last year’s race was tough and there was a lot of very strong competition. I’m back out on the West Coast now, so unfortunately I won’t be able to race it this year. It is a tough and fun course that I enjoyed racing.”

Laura Van Gilder (C3-Athletes Serving Athletes), winner of last year’s women’s Pro-1-2-3 race:

“I like the course at Grant’s Tomb. It is a good event that shows potential to grow. I first raced there when it was a top women’s-only event. The key to doing well in any race is to combine physical and mental strength. Never an easy feat. I felt that I raced an error-free race and would not have done anything differently. I am planning to race this season.”

Donna McMahon (GBSC), 2nd in last year’s Cat. 4 race:

“Grant’s Tomb is my favorite criterium course! Other than a few potholes around, I thought it was fast and exciting. Last year’s it was only my second criterium ever so I was nervous. I made some mistakes but learned from them. I spent a lot of time out in the front and not drafting as much as I should have. I did feel great throughout and perhaps started my sprint a little too early. I was in first until just before the line when one woman who had an amazing sprint passed me. It was very exciting and I was pleased to get second in the women’s Cat. 4 race.

“It is important to warm up on the course before your race. There are some turns that are fast and can be dangerous. So make a note of this and potholes, cracks, and manholes on the course. I look forward to racing this year as a Cat. 2 and just hope it doesn’t snow any more!”

Danny Inoa (Axis), 7th in last year’s Cat. 4 race riding with Brooklyn Velo Force:

“I love Grant’s Tomb—it’s my favorite crit and a lot of fun. You have to be fit early in the season, and you have to race smart. I consider it a “momentum course,” where you can take a really fast line when you get in a groove. You have to be consistent with your lines, though. I was feeling good last year, especially early on, but burned a few too many matches, which I should have saved for later. When the sprint came at the end, I felt like I just ran out of real state—bad timing. Also, you need a good warm-up. I’m racing this season with Axis as a Cat. 3 and in the masters.”

Edwin Bull (Van Dessel Factory Team), founder/owner of Van Dessel Sports, 12th in last year’s Pro-1-2-3 race:

“It’s a great race, and being the first ‘real’ race in these parts adds to the excitement. The course is a lot of fun, and there is a really good field, so I’m definitely looking forward to it. I’ll be shooting for top 5 this time around.

“Last year it was pretty aggressive with lots of attacks, but nothing was able to stick. The key to success was doing well in the field sprint: good positioning, timing, and having the jump to finish it off. I really botched the timing part last year. I felt great, but in the sprint I went much too early and didn’t have the legs to keep going from that far out. I shot backward pretty impressively as we reached the line!

“I prefer to ride in breaks rather than mix it up in field sprints, but in this race it is probably best to sit back and save the legs for a field sprint. That isn’t really my style of racing, so I’m sure I’ll be burning a lot of matches trying to get off the front. If it should come down to a field sprint, I hope I haven’t completely shot my legs by that point, and that I remember to be a bit more patient. The finishing straight is deceptively long.

“My season has been getting cut short the past couple of years, so I’m really looking forward to trying to get race fit earlier and getting some good races in before things fall apart in June. The warmer it gets the less time I have. Come June it usually becomes nearly impossible to get out and race, let alone ride.”

Willie Payton (WS United), 18th in last year’s Cat. 3/4 race:

“The race is very fast for early in the season. It opens up the lungs since it’s fast from the gun. The key to surviving is staying in the top 10 and not getting gapped off, like when other riders tend to struggle after climbing the hill six or seven laps in. Last year I  definitely should have positioned myself better for the final sprint. Always try to line up at the start/finish in the first two rows for better position. The action is always in the front—not at the back. Yes, I am racing this year. I live to race. I’ll be looking forward to a better result this year. It’s a great course—and I prefer a crit over a road race any day!”

Alexander Bremer, winner of last year’s collegiate men’s A race, 4th in 2008 (race promoter/director 2007, 2008, 2009); last year raced with Columbia University:

“Given that I’ve worked on promoting and directing the race, I might not be the most objective source. But I thought that last year’s race was a huge success. We got lucky with great weather in early March, but everything else went very smoothly as well. We had some problems with towing in the morning and that set us back a little, but once we got rolling things were great!

“We made a big push over the past few years to expand the event to reach out to more racers. Being promoted by a collegiate team, the race is focused on the collegiate aspect, but I think it is the only collegiate race in the Northeast that really has a complete offering of USCF racing for everyone. We made sure we had separate women’s fields, big pro prize lists, and multiple fields for the middle-category men, which always sees a massive turnout. From the feedback I got, I think the event was great for almost everyone. It was a great fundraiser for the Columbia team, too, as we rely heavily on the race for our operating budget.

“The course is fast and well suited to a breakaway. In 2008, two guys finished solo ahead of a five-man chase, and last year a five-man group stayed away from lap two. It unfolds differently in some of the big USCF fields, but for the collegiate race a strong group can stay away all day. I didn’t have anything like peak form at the time, so for me the key was beating the other guys with my head not my legs. Every pull I focused on using as little energy as possible and didn’t do an ounce more work than I needed to. As the finish approached, I felt strong and wanted to be the first to strike. I had been watching my lines for the right place to attack and found it at the bottom of the course with about four laps to go. The move seemed to paralyze the chasers. Like I said, it is a fast course that is relatively easy to stay away on.

“Basically, once I was in the move it was just rotating efficiently. I didn’t show my cards until the end and saved everything for then. There was no trickery, mind games, or anything from the others, so the tactics were pretty simple. That can happen in collegiate races, even when the racers are strong like our group was that day.

“The course is fast. It is a wonderful merger between a city crit and a loop like Central Park or Prospect. The bottom half of the course is rolling off of the kicker at 122nd, and the top half features wide-open (not-technical) turns that don’t really slow things down at all.

“I am racing this year. I’ve graduated, so I’m no longer involved directly in promoting the event, but I still love the race!”

Neil Bezdek (Mountain Khakis), winner of last year’s Cat. 3/4s, then racing with Kissena:

“It was a fairly uneventful race; the pack mostly stayed together. I made sure to put myself near the front on the last lap and lead out the last turn, then sprinted home. Gambling on a sprint finish was the right move. I guess one thing to consider is how the final straight is slightly uphill and potentially windy. That will affect the sprint. The last corner is narrow, and it’s important to have good positioning through there.

“Breakaways rarely work. Maybe if it’s rainy. People would always attack on the long, slightly uphill home stretch. This is not a smart place to attack. I think the road is too wide, and there’s too much visibility for a move to work there. It’s the spot where the tired guys on front always get swarmed by the surging riders from behind. And that’s where everyone gets chased down as well.

“I would attack right after or into turn 1, where the course gets windy. If you can carry speed through turn 2, you’ll have momentum going uphill and can further open up a gap that way.

“I wish I could be there but we are having team camp that week!”

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Race program on BikeReg.com.

2009 results from Velocity Results here.