| Ride Stats |
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Distance:
40.06 miles
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Altitude Gain:
2,826 ft
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Avg Speed:
17.85 mph
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Route:
Hillbender
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Avg Grade: 0 %
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Max Grade: 0 %
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Max HR: 0 bpm
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Avg HR: 0 bpm
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Terrain: Road: Hills
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Bike: Look 585 Carbon Road
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Club: Schuyler County Cycling Club |
| Weather Conditions: Fog Light Rain 46 F N wind @ 13 mph |
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Weather forecast had held true and it was a miserable day for a bike race. Temperature was 46 F, there was fog, and a misty rain and to make things even worse there was a hard bitter wind blowing out of the north. The organizer had pushed the start time up from 9:00 to 8:30 which made for an early start of the day as it was nearly a two hour drive to the race. Didn't have any information on the course other than it had long grueling climbs and was thirty nine miles long. Got registered easily which was a surprise as the e-mail from the promoter said that a picture ID was required at registration but nobody checked mine. Put on my heavy rain jacket and went for a warmup ride and decided that it was way too heavy for climbing as I would overheat on the climbs. Went back to the start and layered up instead and thought I would probably freeze on the descents if there was any soaking rain. When I got back to the start the announcer was thanking everyone for thier commitment to racing for coming out on a miserable day. My commitment was the forty dollar pre entry fee as I would not have come out and raced if I had not already put up the money. Didn't feel much like racing and my goal was to just not crash and tour the course as my legs were shot before the race and I really don't preform well below sixty degrees much less in forty degree rainy weather. Not sure how many people started the race but I think there was forty-one finishers. There was a Cat II and a few Cat IIIs lined up at the start but the pace was real slow up the first short climbs with one of the Cat III superstarts blatantly breaking the yellow line rule as we started to out. First mile or so was pretty hairy as the course started out into the harsh north wind with everyone jockeying to be near but not at the front. Saw a couple of boneheaded moves and figured I had nothing to lose by escaping the pack as it would leave me behind on the first serious climb anyway and I launched off the front. Stayed off the front but never had a serious gap and only put enough effort to stay away but not pull away. Got caught on a steep downhill around mile five or six as I descended it very gingerly. First serious climb came up soon afterward and I was quickly dropped off the back. It was a tremendously long climb though it wasn't really steep. Pack split up into a front six group a second group of eight or so and the rest of us staggered on the climb. Climbed with a few others put couldn't sit and spin with them as I would keep drifting off the back. I had to continuously come out of the saddle to make contact with the group as they neared the tops of the climbs so as to take benefit from the draft on the downgrades. Most of the major climbs were out of the way by the twenty mile mark though it felt like we climbed forever. Ended up with another rider chasing another pair of riders down the hill into Cazenovia and finally caught them as we rolled through town. I was unable to stay with the newly formed group and was dropped on the climb out to Chittenango which was unfortunate as that section was into the cruel north wind. Had nothing left in my legs for the last ten miles of the race but I lucked out as nobody behind me had anything left either as I wasn't caught from behind. Last climb up the day was alongside a huge waterfall which would have been a treat if I wasn't suffering as I was. Ended up twenty-third overall but it was really a poor performance. It is too bad that it was such a bad day as this is probably one of the most scenic race courses I have ever ridden. Couldn't really enjoy it as had to keep speed down on the rain slick roads on the long downhills and had to keep my head down in the headwinds. Jeremy Wickham won the day and IronDoug came in fourth overall as the front six had remained together for most of the ride and only split up a little on the last climb. Didn't stick around long and drove home as soon as the fits of shivering stopped. The century tomorrow in PA is right out as the weather is supposed to be similar and I have not pre registered for it.
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