The sweet part of the season. I love this time of year. Beverly and Salem weeknight criteriiums. Ninigret by NBX weekly training race/workouts. Anticipation and training for Green Mountain Stage Race.
Fitness is improving, speed is good, and motivation is high.
By far the most fun races for me are the P/1/2 criteriums that are run on fast technical courses and held in city centers on warm summer evenings with lots of people watching. Lining up to race with pro cyclists makes for exciting and fast races.
The Salem race this year stands out for me because I tasted firsthand what real speed is. Typically when a breakaway is trying to form the speeds are high and can be very high, but eventually settles into a reasonable rhythm fairly quickly so that a bit of recovery is available before the work of even paced contributing begins. I was fortunate to be in the mix with good positioning and a bit of luck as the winning break was forming, I had the bit between the teeth as the accelerations starting thinning the line. I dug deep and was able to latch on to the back of the flurry of jumps and covers waiting for the settle, more speed and faster cornering more acceleration and larger gears, rolling huge gears deep into the red zone, on the nose of the saddle and still no settling. There was a moment where I was on Tim Johnsons (United Healthcare) wheel, like having a front row seat, this lasted maybe a lap before losing contact. I simply could not sustain the speed at the back of the small group as they rode away from me and saw the race go around the corner and out of reach, it never settled. The break lapped the field and the race was won by Jesse Anthony (Kelly Benefits Strategies) who just won a UCI category 2.2 stage race in Norway.
[ Photo ©: Barry Boyce, CyclingRevealed.com ]
It is a whole different level and makes me appreciate the power and depth these guys have, they are smaller, leaner, and have way more power and top end. Fun to experience it firsthand.
These “speed” workouts prove to be great fitness builders, Team FUJI/Clif Bar had a good showing in Fall River at the Blount Seafood Criterium recently with well played team dynamics and came away with good primes and the win in the 35+ race. We are now preparing for Green Mountain and hope that we have a full and healthy squad for the 40+ race.
The adrenaline filled excitement will continue with the TD Bank Mayor’s Cup Professional Criterium in Boston that is run around the Government Center on September 26th . This race draws large amounts of spectators and some of the best cyclists in the country. If there is one bike race to take in this is it, great fast course, lot’s people, I suggest you come and watch or race it.
We will try and send updates from Waitsfield VT as the GMSR plays out.
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