Balderdash for March 19, 2010

By Daniel McMahon

What a week it’s been.

Rather busy for me, and I hope for you, too.

Before week three smacks us in the face, let’s reflect on week two.

[Cue sounds of thunder and loud winds and whiny bike racers and carbon rims gettin’ all squeaky.]

Grant’s Tombage
It started with Saturday’s Grant’s Tomb. I had posted a few pieces leading up to the Tomb thinking, like most, that it was going to be a big boom of a race to start the road season here in NYC. Alas, it was somewhat anticlimactic, though a big enough deal in its own way for those who braved the elements.

The weather, as has been much talked about here and elsewhere, was total crap. Alan Atwood, the race director at Grant’s Tomb, told me it was the worst he’d ever seen at a race.

A handful of teammates and I showed up for the Cat. 4 race, and, yes, we were excitable—to get racing and stop shivering, that is. Really, we were shaking violently. Like, who brought the Bushmills flask?

Eventually we got rolling and there was a “selection” made (that sounds so pro, dunnit, versus “breakaway”?) of about 15 riders, and somehow I managed to join this group. I just remember riding as nearly as hard as I could in the strongest head wind I have ever ridden in before. This was a perfect example of why it’s important to be in the first two rows at the start. Huge self pat on the back.

Don’t know how fast the winds were, but they felt of the gale-force variety. I think we were hammering and on the rivet and going just about 10 mph. Yes, the winds changed at will from head to side variety, too. Amazingly, there was not one crash in the 4 race. I am impressed by my fellow racers. Nice job!

After a series of unsuccessful breaks and some cat and mouse, the selection stayed together for the most part, and it came down to a big ol’ sprint finish. My teammate Al Barouh snatched second behind a strong-sprinting Leszek Sniadowski, whose name comes up so often these days I know how to spell it correctly without Googling it. He beat Al by several bike lengths, and Al’s a good sprinter, too.

Maybe it’s a sign he should be gettin’ on up to the 3s? I have spoken to Lance a few times, and he is a soft-spoken, kind man and a talented cyclist. But the results and his experience speak for themselves. Go on, Lance, upgrade to the Cat. 3s! Do it for Poland!

I could manage to stay for only the next race, the Cat. 3s, as I was so effing freezing and shivering like hell had frozen over. It reminded me of the cyclocross season, too: Dan Chabanov of Adler off the front powering away on his own with a huge gap, then just holding it forever till the finish. Chabanov actually broke away early in the race, got absorbed, then attacked again and stayed away.

I took the subway home and cried in my bed with my teddy and my flask. There would be no s’mores or raging fire or cozy hearth in my one-bedroom. Just nightmares of the violence and the winds.

In the end I was happy to scrape up a 7th place, while two teammates got 2nd and 8th, respectively. Three in the top 10 was not an unsatisfying day out. I like that weather made for smaller fields and increased my chances of a place. Ha ha ha.

New York Spring Series: round 2
Another day, another race. It seemed I was racing just a minute before when I got out of bed at 5ish Sunday morn. After guzzling a few cups of strong joe I headed to Central Park for another spin in the park with my excitable 4 brethren and the Cat. 3 contingent that showed up.

But at the start it was announced that there was only one motorbike to lead all the riders, so we all rode in one big happy family of a peloton. As such I went straight to the front and stayed top 10 the whole race. Didn’t want to get caught up in any monkey bizz behind.

It was a little confusing, though, as at some point a Cat. 4 got away and stayed away. I don’t think anyone noticed. He ended up winning, so good for him. Meanwhile, we 3s and 4s seemed content to sprint at the end for what we thought would be 1st place.

I learned my lesson from the previous week and was in top 5 heading into Cat’s Paw uphill sprint. I jumped a little to lead out my teammate Al but he said to wait, so I did. Then Marmo jumped, then Leszek and Al passed Marmo. Another teammate, Mattio, got 7th and I scraped up 8th, one out of the money. Mattio, you are going to buy me that bagel, yes?

Rumors spread on this site that Joao might race were totally wrong. D’oh.

This weekend
I wrote a piece for VeloNews.com about Saturday’s Red Hook crit. You should go. The past two winners of it are now pros. You could be a pro! Well, maybe.

No, I won’t be racing it. Because I can barely ride a road bike let alone a track bike. Still, I will be there to support my fellow New Yorkers as they battle for the win. Should be fun. Then there is the after party, and as I’m writing a report of the race and party for VN, too, I have to skip Prospect Park on Sunday, regretfully so. I was hoping to impress myself by racing three times in two days, but, alas, I’m 38 and have to measure my efforts.

I will be doing Central Park tomorrow, though, then heading to Floyd Bennett Field for a 10 o’clock hour-long hurt fest. Can I do decently in two races in a few hours? Maybe.

Let’s don’t forget Milan-San Remo is this weekend, too. It’s going to be streaming live on UniversalSports.com. I’ll be at FBF then but hope to catch the replay later.

Is it possible to avoid learning the results of a major race and getting spoilers these days with the Internet and smartphones? Me thinks nay.

Here, the valid, scientific, super-pro CR Facebook Milan-San Remo poll results:

I’m picking Daniele Bennati.

Anyway, good luck this weekend.

The weather should be 100 percent better than last week.

And go to Red Hook! Support local racing.

Join the CR Facebook page. Or not.

As always, send us your photos, reports, prize money, and unused, unopened gels.

You can keep the half-eaten Clif Bars.