Balderdash for March 12, 2010
Here we go into week two of the season.
The main feature has to be Grant’s Tomb Criterium, raced on a fun and challenging course on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, a couple of blocks west of Columbia University, my controversially ever-sprawling alma mater, to which I am still financially leashed via students loans.
If I am in the money Saturday, just maybe I can get some of that loan shrunk a bit. But that’s probably not going to happen, is it? It’s nice to dream …
As of now, Friday morning, it’s a 90 percent chance that a wet and cold one it will be.
Sunday is the second round of the New York Spring Series. Someone told me Joao Correia might be racing. He is back Stateside.
As for last weekend, on Saturday I did Branchbrook for the first time, and on Sunday I did Central Park, also for the first time.
In my first race of the year, at Branchbrook, it was rather uneventful, and it seemed everyone was happy to ride loops in the park not too hard. I made an effort to go off the front early on, but only two gentlemen came with me and neither was as committed to working. Maybe a couple of others made similar moves later, but it came down to a field sprint … but not before a restart.
Someone crashed in the middle of the race and ended up on his back on the side of the road. Emergency vehicles were summoned, and I heard the guy dislocated his shoulder or broke a collarbone or some such. At any rate, the organizers were forced to stop us at the start/finish with two to go, then restart us a minute later.
A somewhat mad dash ensued for the front, and after observing lots of sketchy bike handling and near crashes by sloppy riders, I decided I was going to hold my position in the 30s or so and cruise in.
Nice park though, and just a 25-minute ride from WTC station on the PATH for less than two bucks.
The 1-2-3 race was cool in that a break stayed away and strung out the pack for the better part of the race.
Sunday was my second race of the year and my first in Central Park.
As happened at Branchbrook, the 3/4s seemed largely content sitting in. Yes, the Cat. 5s passed us on their second and final lap. Pathetic! I made an effort on the little rise before the descent on the northeast side of the park, held on till halfway up the hill at 110, with a few guys in tow, but alas with no one willing or able to pull through, things shut down.
I saw only a few other attempts at breaks, and soon began the nervous wait for the finish.
I worked well with two teammates to get positioned for the finish, too, but then in horse shit alley things got crappy, with a swarm of riders regulating me from 15th to about 25th in a few seconds. D’oh. Lesson learned: Be top 8 or so entering Marlboro Country.
Being tightly and frustratingly boxed in about 20th wheel with only the joggers’ lane open but clearly verboten, I was forced to watch and never opened up, sadly. Nothing worse than finishing a race with lots left in the tank. Rolled in 20th or so.
Scott Savory took second behind a scrappy Steve Marmo.
Suffice it to say, I am happy with my fitness and riding right now. Feeling very good. But need to learn these new courses better, and work on positioning. Seems like an ongoing lesson.
Anyway, let the cold rain be your friend. Embrace it. Get out and race. Or at least spectate. Bring a flask maybe.
