M45
Well this was our fist time here so we went early to see the area. This is a 4 stage race over 3 days.
Day 1 Stage 1 Skyliner TT
Day 1 Stage 2 Downtown Criterium
Day 2 Stage 3 Cascade Lake Road Race
Day 3 Stage 4 Awbrey Butte Circuit Race
Well, here is my story of the Cascade Classic (Jon O). I drove up to Bend on Wednesday afternoon. Pretty and uneventful drive until I got to Klamath Falls. Never drive through Klamath Falls at dusk un a nice summer night. BUGS, EVERYWHERE. So thick on the windshield I couldn't see. Had to pull over just to clear a path so I could continue passing the trucks on Rte. 97.
Got to the hotel about midnight and found that the boys had turned my sheets down and left a mint on my pillow(HAHA) We had a nice group including Martin, Jess, Tony, Leon, myself, and the grandfather of the race, the inimitable Scott.
Martin, Leon, Scott and I pre rode the TT course and I liked the layout. The race itself was a combined 35+/45+ race that was picked separately. I was not a big fan of the combo. Too many guys with varied levels of skill and the inability to monitor who was who in the races. In the end it both hurt me and helped me.
Stage 1
First the TT. As far as TT's go this was pretty much perfect for me. 14 mile out and back course. First half being big chain ring gradual climb with a few downs and a few slightly steeper pitches. My 30 second man was Peter Allen, who we came to find out was not in great form. My thought was to pace off of him and then try to pass him half way through the outbound leg and then hold on for the high speed power return leg.
The TT started and I got into the aero position and started pushing. I wound up passing Peter in the first mile and never saw him agian. The grade was such that I was able to stay in the tuck position and ride the big chain ring. Once past Peter I started to pick off other riders on the upward leg, all of whom were sitting up riding their small chain ring. I think I passed about five guys going up the hill and about 3 on the way down. I felt good up until about the last 1/2 mile. My time wound up being 2nd best. I was far enough behind the very talentd leader, that Ifelt my chance of catching him was small and I was slightly ahead of Roger Worthington, another very talented guy in third.
Jon 2nd
Jon 2nd on GC
Stage 2
The crit was well described by Martin.
Plan was to try for a good result and get Jon and Scott thru the race. ( Remember they do not do crits) so we decided to have them follow Tony's wheel. Well with a very technical course ( 1K lap so fast ) and a 100 rider plus tyring to keep a eye on GC 1 an 3 since they were all with in 46 seconds and we raced with the M35 (wow) So my job was to stay up front and watch over GC 1 an 3 since they have been here many time before.
Oh did I mention these fields were open so all categories just a side note. (Easier said then done )Jon gets called up since he is second on GC I am thinking the pack is going to trample him and I am starting 4 rows back oh this is going to be fun.Bang goes the gun and we are off and it goes hard very tight course so moving up is work and only a few spots at a time and you needs to take risks.Next thing I know I sitting half way back and trying to watch Jon but he is doing ok up there.
Well after a few laps of full throttle I find the spots to move up and start to working ten minutes go by and maybe I am top 30 trying to keep an eye on the front but there was on 2 spots in the course to see the front because of all the turns.Then I start hearing the crashes start and we started to really move I get up front finally, safe at last,hoping that the boys are safe behind.The crashes keep coming and they are close so when I come around I look to see who is down and what kit, then the worst happens going thru the tight S turn I hear wheels touch off my right and yes when I come around it was one of our own but could not see so the next lap I take a good look and Leon is the man down.
One thing I noticed about the race is even though riders are down the race goes on. So lap after lap there he lays with medics looking over him. By now I am moving around the top 15 and most of the race numbers are the lower hundreds which means mostly M35 except for the 1 and 3 GC M45 there are right there with me and a couple others.With 4 to go the big crash happen right at the start finish line, you know the one that keeps piling up and you keep hearing it.It starts right on my left and with a quick dive to my right I survive and the mad dash to separate but that is not the end then we go into turn one and another smaller one happens on my left. Shit I am thinking who is left and with no time to look back we are single file and moving when we come around to the start there must of been 15 guys on the side but I did not see any vos.
Yes a nerve racking race so 2 to go on the upper part of the course the yellow jersey holder for the M45 goes down in front of me and yes we hit it again. We come around and the bell finally rings and I look at the numbers around me and most are M35 so I am think maybe top 5 ( wow little me ) so we come thru the finally turn and I sprint for home.Not sure how it ended as my first thought was to get to Leon who had been laying there the who time.We all arrive where he is and I notice we are all standing boy unbelievable so we hang with the medics until the ambulance arrives to take him to the hospital.Scott Jon and myself go get cleaned up ( hotel on the course) and return to watch a little of the P1 and check the results get some dinner. Well martin was 3rd and Jon was 8th.(Wow). Unfortunately missed the podium shot for top 3.
Martin 3rd
Jon 8th
Jon 2nd GC
Stage 3
The problem with our race was that with 100 guys in the field and no way of easily identifying who was in your field it was difficult to monitor the logistics of the race. Roger Worthington is a real talented road racer and with him sitting one second behind me in third I felt it was best to mark him. We sat about 1/2 way back in the field and we both missed a 45+guy going off in a break ~ 25 miles into the race. For me this course was again highly stressful with ~60 miles of downhill, rolling, fast roads with the only cumulative effect being a continual dehydration, even with the neutral water and a great feed from Tony's wife, Crystal.
By the time we got to the bumpy part of the course my power was minimized. Chris Phipps and Dan Bryant took over the pace making and quickly thinned out the pack. I was able to hang for awhile but the heat finally got me and I started fading off the pace. By the time we had got to the top of the course, the guy in the break had stayed away for the win. #1 GC guy for 45+ had pretty much hung with Phipps and came in 2nd. Worthington hung on longer then I and came in third, ten seconds in front of my group of 6 45+ guys.
By the way the loop de doo to the finish line was hairy, with rocks, pot holes and a very flat, sharp(I'm going to crash with 150m to go)curve right before the line. So I survived the day. The out come was highly affected by the combo field.
I had no idea a 45+ guy got off in the break and he was with 3 35+ guys. i think I would have finished the same in regardw to #1 and 3 in GC but who knows about the other guy. Final standings for the day: #1 in GC stayed #1, #2 in GC(me) dropped down to fourth(13 seconds behind #3 and 38 seconds in front of Paul Gossi in fifth), #3 on GC stayed at #3 and breakaway guy moved into 2nd.
By the time we rode back to the car we were all knackered and wondered if we would even be able to get out of bed the next day. But with a ball busting visit to Leon and a good dinner and constant hilarious stories from Dan and Jonathan we were again all fired up for the final stage.
Jon 9th
Jon 4th GC
Stage 4
Woke up Sunday feeling blah. Scott decided that he had enough training for the weekend and was going to sit out the day. I told Martin that I didn't know how much I had in the tank but I would do my best to hang onto my fourth spot. This race was a little better for me because you were constantly faced with some hard efforts followed by some recovery zones.
I think everybody was tired so there was not much explosiveness in the field. I did try to break away midway through the 2nd lap but with only the M45 leader as a break mate(and he was not going to pull)I decided it was best to stay with the front of the race and defend my 4th spot. Chris Phipps who was sitting in 2nd to Dan Bryant in 35+ would go to the front and try to ride everybody off his wheel but the group would just string out until he sat up. There wasn't too much activity until about 3-4 miles into the last 17 mile loop, when 3 35+ guys rolled off the front. About 1/2 mile later Paul Gossi, who was sitting 38 seconds behind me in fifth, slammed across to the break and I couldn't react. Now this is where I needed to count on the 35+ guys to help me out and gradually they obliged.
We wound up reeling them in at the feed zone which is ~ 3 mile from the finish. Our front group which contained #s 1,2,3,4, and 5 on 45+ GC finished as a pack and the standings remained the same.
Jon 5th
Jon 4th overall
So overall the weekend was a success and tiring. Martin got a great result in the Crit, Tony was probably the strongest of us in the long stage to Bachelor, coming in not far behind me in spite of riding a flat rear tire for about 5k, and hanging with the guys was a lot of fun. Leon busting his femur sucks, but that man will be back and he was digging the nurses. Talk to you soon. Jon.