| Ride Stats |
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Distance:
28.00 miles
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Altitude Gain:
1,686 ft
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Avg Speed:
20.68 mph
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Route:
Greek Peak
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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: Sunny 65 F S wind @ 5 mph |
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Another beautiful day for racing with abundant sunshine little wind and warm temperature for the morning race. Didn't have high hopes today even for riding the lowly Cat IV\V race since I really didn't have any legs yesterday and this being a climbers race. Really didn't have anything to lose , barring a crash as the entry fee was something like twelve dollars and the course is only a short drive from my house. Riding with the lowly riders though, I only had to do one twenty-two mile lap, so really wasn't looking at anything difficult. Had about fifty riders line up for the start, but I only recognized one other rider who I had ridden with at Binghamton last week. First five miles of the course is downhill and I just sat off the back and stayed out of trouble. My fate would be determined on the first climb when the legs would either be there or not. Speed to the climb was reserved and the group stayed together. Went into the first climb sandwiched in the rear of the peloton and climbed comfortably and worked my way up to the middle of the pack. Nobody went off the front for about three quarters of the climb when the pack stuttered and came apart. Felt pretty good up to that point but the slight pause in my rhythm broke my focus and didn't recover nor accelerate fast enough and could not get through the riders falling off the pace. Crested the top and could still see the front group several seconds ahead. Started to catch riders falling off the pack and we soon formed a group of four and worked fairly well together reeling in additional riders as we went. We got up to eight riders with seventeen riders still ahead with three of those riders off the front of the main group. Legs felt pretty good on the slight climbs but ended up doing about a third of the pulling as the rest wanted to just sit in and were actually trying to calm things down and ride steady Only had one other rider who wanted to keep chasing and together we drove the group on reluctantly, it seemed, as they could keep up but had no desire to pull. We paid for it as we got to the wall and although the drafters were suggesting we all stay together on the climb they seemed to have forgotten it as they neared the top as three of us were left behind. Wasn't too worried though as the guys that were dropped were the engines that were pulling the group earlier and after some effort we caught back up to the second pack with a mile or two to go. Saw a group ahead and passed the my group and hammered up to the forward group only to find out it was from the women's group that had left several minutes before us. Got to the finish which is a half mile long steep climb. Didn't contest the sprint and rode up the hill off the back and finished twenty-sixth. Overall it was a pretty fun race as although I didn't have climbing legs today I had good speed which I had lacked yesterday. So had fun chasing and didn't crash.
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