VCL#1 report
Posted: Sun Mar 19, 2017 7:39 pm
I hope others post, because I don't have much in the way of results [a few results added since first upload].
Cold but beautiful. I thought, and it turned out, so did Martin, that we might get away with a point (top ten) as a result of low attendance. "Maybe no one notices that the season has started" Nope. I could not believe the turn out. It was a huge event. Lots of racers in all three groups and loads of spectators. It is very exciting to be back in the race saddle again.
I stayed with the B peloton for almost 7 of the 9 laps. Near the end of lap 7 a dog ran into the pack - Stephane was one of two casualties. He's OK, his bike, not so much. This affected my race, but in a way that won't garner any sympathy: I had been enjoying the draft up the hill - it's more of a swoosh - every lap. The dog-disruption meant that the free ride half way to the top was gone and I had to climb it without help. I held on, but when we turned onto the back straight on lap eight I was in trouble. I got on Trevor Orne's wheel.... and just stared at the cassette refusing to lose the tow. But something wasn't quite right. He was as tired as I was, and the pack in front was gone.
The B group had been strung out and a few had been dropped by that point, so it could have been worse. I tried to maintain my position during the final lap and a half - two guys who were behind Trevor and I, made an attempt to bridge - they didn't make it, I maintained the gap to them. Trevor, as I discovered when he re-passed me on the final turn, had held on behind me. We rode the last 200m with me in the draft and while I couldn't pass him on the final climb, the two of us ran by at least one other B racer. I am guessing I was about 12th, but it might have been as far back as 15 or 16th.
[edit: 18th. Results:http://ircvictoria.com/races/results?race_id=78]
Like I said, really great to be out there again. You have to join in next time.
Garth, was 4th. I think Wheeler's racers were 1, 2 and 3 [yes]. Brenna was in the B race - how did you do? [beat me] Saskia to [ditto], and Thomas Hill [just behind]. Please upload reports!
JT
Cold but beautiful. I thought, and it turned out, so did Martin, that we might get away with a point (top ten) as a result of low attendance. "Maybe no one notices that the season has started" Nope. I could not believe the turn out. It was a huge event. Lots of racers in all three groups and loads of spectators. It is very exciting to be back in the race saddle again.
I stayed with the B peloton for almost 7 of the 9 laps. Near the end of lap 7 a dog ran into the pack - Stephane was one of two casualties. He's OK, his bike, not so much. This affected my race, but in a way that won't garner any sympathy: I had been enjoying the draft up the hill - it's more of a swoosh - every lap. The dog-disruption meant that the free ride half way to the top was gone and I had to climb it without help. I held on, but when we turned onto the back straight on lap eight I was in trouble. I got on Trevor Orne's wheel.... and just stared at the cassette refusing to lose the tow. But something wasn't quite right. He was as tired as I was, and the pack in front was gone.
The B group had been strung out and a few had been dropped by that point, so it could have been worse. I tried to maintain my position during the final lap and a half - two guys who were behind Trevor and I, made an attempt to bridge - they didn't make it, I maintained the gap to them. Trevor, as I discovered when he re-passed me on the final turn, had held on behind me. We rode the last 200m with me in the draft and while I couldn't pass him on the final climb, the two of us ran by at least one other B racer. I am guessing I was about 12th, but it might have been as far back as 15 or 16th.
[edit: 18th. Results:http://ircvictoria.com/races/results?race_id=78]
Like I said, really great to be out there again. You have to join in next time.
Garth, was 4th. I think Wheeler's racers were 1, 2 and 3 [yes]. Brenna was in the B race - how did you do? [beat me] Saskia to [ditto], and Thomas Hill [just behind]. Please upload reports!
JT
