| Ride Stats |
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Distance:
28.01 miles
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Altitude Gain:
957 ft
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Avg Speed:
20.20 mph
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Route:
MIlton
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Avg Grade: 150 %
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Max Grade: 169 %
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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: Light Rain 54 F SE wind @ 3 mph |
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Drove down to Milton for the thirty-third running of the Milton twenty-eight mile road race. Forecast had looked sketchy with a chance of showers in the morning and a high for the day in the sixties. Reality turned out to be much worse as we drove through two hours of heavy and steady rain. When we stopped for gas the air felt frigid. We talked about bailing on the race if it was still raining when we arrived in Milton. We registered and picked up our numbers and T-shirts and noted dozens of riders warming up. A quick check of the weather channel revealed that the rain would slacken at race time and we should have a short two hour window with a constant drizzle rather than rain. Temperature at start time was fifty-four degrees and it didn't get any higher. I really didn't have any desire to race even if it had been warm with dry roads, but wanted to come down and support the race and at least ride the course. Line up for the start was by anticipated finish time with slots for 1:20:00, 1:40:00 and then mountain bikes and tandems. I lined up at the back of the 1:40s even though I usually finish within the 1:20 limit as I had no desire to be near the front up the first climb, which is of course critical if you want to place well in the race. Race started in a light rain and I floated off the back until the first small knoll just out of town. I put in some effort and climbed with a tandem with hopes of drafting it across the long flats to the first real climb. Another rider flew by after the knoll rather than the expected tandem and I tucked in on his wheel and never saw the tandem again. He put in a strong effort and hauled me back up to the front pack of sixty or so riders that wasn't really on fire on the rain soaked roads. The pack did put the hammer down on the first climb and it pretty much shattered the large group. I climbed comfortably and maintained my position on the back end of the group. After a short downhill the pack was split into three guys off the front, that stayed away the rest of the race, a large pack of around thirty and the remainder of us strung out in groups of four or five. I worked my way up to a group of four that were working well together and sat in the rotation until it was my turn to pull. We broke up on one of the numerous rolling climbs and after my pull and only had one of the riders left in my draft. He pulled the next short climb and I was dropped off his wheel. I was able to catch him on the next downhill but after passing him he was unable to stay in my draft. I hammered, as best I could, across three or four miles of flatland and was able to catch a group of six or seven riders just before the second long climb of the day. The group broke up on the climb with two guys pulling away decisively, then another lone rider followed by a group of three that I was in. The other two riders let me set the pace which surprisingly wasn't too bad considering how dismal my climbing has been this year. I hammered the immediate downhill and picked up the lone rider but couldn't reel in the front two. I was relieved when we started a rotation as we turned back toward town but was dropped off the back on a short steep climb. After the other three riders caught another lone rider they slowed down, and I was able to make contact with them again. Over the next dozen rolling miles we were able to work together and caught a group of six or seven at which point the two groups merged into a large sprint pack and everybody slowed down. I was content to stay near the back on the final short climb that is often chaotic and occasionally dangerous as it is the last place to get separation before the final sprint. The pack stretched out but as I crested the top I thought I would be able to catch most of the group on a short downhill. I pedaled hard and once I got to full speed I went into an aero tuck. I was eating up big chunks of the gap when I heard and felt a loud thunk and found my body and my bicycle were no longer aligned. I was kind of slumped over the top tube and my first thought was that I had broken my frame. I was able to maintain control and gradually slowed the bike with some gentle braking. Once I was at a reasonable speed I was able to take stock and found that my seat post had snapped off. I went back and retrieved my seat and rode the final mile of the race out of the saddle. I ended up finishing fifty sixth out of a little over a hundred riders and was noted to be the first finisher without a seat. Overall I had a pretty decent ride despite the cold, rain and equipment problems. It turned out to be the most fun I've had in my limited racing this year.
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