Event
|
Berkeley Hills Road Race | |
Date
|
05/10/14 | |
Group
|
M45 4 | |
Bib #
|
618 | |
Result
|
5th of 36 | |
Course
|
From
the race promoters:
|
|
Details
of Race
|
The
weather was perfect, if a bit breezy, but in this sheltered basin
containing two reservoirs, it wasn't much of a factor. It was
clear and cool at a bit after 8am when the groups all rolled out,
about 55°. I was perfectly comfortable in bib shorts, a thin base
layer under a short-sleeved jersey and arm warmers. Being bald, I
used a lycra skullcap under my helmet.
I
didn't have anyone to do bottle hand-ups at the feed zone so I
brought a third 18 oz. bottle in my center jersey pocket. I knew
I'd probably drink a bottle per lap.
M45-4s
and M55-4s rode together and picked separately. The combined
peloton rolled out with 61 riders. The centerline rule was in
effect for the entire course (which was open to significant,
weekend vehicle and bicycle traffic) it was not easy to adjust
one's position in the group.
I
sized up the group on the first two ascents of Mama and Papa Bear.
There were some strong climbers who surfaced, but no one split up
the field and the peloton remained largely intact until the final
ascent of Papa Bear. I kept an eye on my heart rate on those
earlier ascents and at 173 bpm on Papa Bear, I don't think I taxed
myself to the point where I'd be fighting cramps. But to be sure I
sat-in on the descents and the long haul around the course to the
final climbs.
Up
Mama Bear on the final lap, some of the contenders were beginning
to be apparent. At the saddle(s), the front few cranked hard and I
think it was a handful of riders who knew they couldn't outclimb
the best, but hoped to create a gap to buy themselves precious
seconds when we hit the last climb. This definitely stretched out
the group, but we were all right there when we hit Papa Bear for
the final time.
I'd
been watching Brian Ort's wheel (Team Roaring Mouse) for the whole
race. He was looking extremely solid all day, setting the lead
pace on all the climbs. All I had to do was match his pace, then
sprint. But halfway up the climb, I began do fade. Each time
another guy would come up alongside me, I'd dump it into a stiffer
gear and climb out of the saddle. This slog was turning into a
300-meter uphill sprint. The grade increases to 8% for the last
half of the climb and I just wasn't pleased with any of my gear
selections. At the line I think I was in a 39 x 17. Brian and Mark
Beckstead (San Jose Bicycle Club) were going head to head as a
handful of riders pulled between them and myself. I desperately
tried to retake a position that a passing rider gained but failed.
Luckily I overtook another couple who had cracked, while
stretching to the line just ahead of another.
At
the line I tried to count how far back I finished and was pretty
sure there were 7 riders ahead of me, but since there were
stragglers from other race groups on the course it was hard to
identify my racers. Official results showed I was 5th
among the M45-4s. Brian Ort was just edged out at the line by Mark
Beckstead, who was in the M55 group. So Brian got 1st,
and we all got a good look ahead at the competition beyond 55. I
have a feeling there were at least a few more 55+ riders who
crossed the line ahead of me. We all rode like we were in a single
race, so I really have to hand it to those 55s. I'll take my 5th
result and any upgrade points that come with it but I'll
personally consider it an 11th-place race finish, based on rider
points in the official results. I'm actually quite happy to know
how competitive the 55+ riders are, and I can look forward to some
quality racing when I “grow up.”
For my
result today I'll accrue 3 upgrade points. I won 2 nut bars and a
2 oz. “bear” bottle of really tasty local honey.
|
|
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Advice
|
The climbs aren't tough enough to split up a cat 4 bunch. I'm not sure where it's best to attempt an attack. It might be worth a shot along the rolling terrain on Bear Creek Rd., just after Hampton Rd. I also think it would pay to attack on the steepest section of Papa Bear because the subsequent long, fast, 42mph descent is much slower with 75 riders than it would be in a smaller group. A group of 4 or 5 could create a sizeable gap on that descent. | |
Links
|
Results | |
| Strava | ||
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