Old guys,
A quick report on the B wave of yesterday's Snelling Road Race. The B group started with 6 DBC'ers (Leon Basdekas, Joaquin Feliciano, Jim Kuphaldt, Justin Reginato, Jason Snovel, and me) -- not quite the forces the A group had, but a significant number nonetheless. We talked for awhile before the start and came up with a plan similar to what Derek described for the A group, i.e., form an echelon at the front early on and shred the pack.
We came pretty close to realizing that plan. For good portion of the 1st lap, we had most of our group up at the front in a rotation, hammering at high speed. I believe this effort significantly softened the pack but took its toll on us too. I lost track of the timing, but Leon, Joaquin, and Jason popped off the back sometime in the first three laps.
About a third of the way into the final (fourth) lap, Jim punctured. This was unfortunate, as Jim was probably the strongest guy in the pack and still had a lot of gas in the tank. At this point, the pack was whittled down to about 20 guys. Justin & I tucked ourselves into safe spots out of the wind and waited to spring our final attack at the finish. Coming down the final long, bumpy straight, Justin & I slowly worked our way up the left side of the road, out of the wind.
At the 1 Km mark, there was a surge at the front which opened things up a bit, allowing us to move up. Coming around the final turn, I think Justin got stuck behind some guys who eventually sat up, blocking his sprint. I managed to stay close to the front but was feeling frustrated because there were a 4 guys (side by side) in front of me and I was blocked in on the sides. Luckily, the two directly in front parted enough that I could squirt through and power up the finish hill for the win.
In retrospect, I wondered whether a better team strategy would have been for all of us to stay out of the wind and save ourselves for the final lap. There's usually no lack of cat. 4/5 guys who are willing to sit at the front and keep the pace high. The question for DBC is whether it's to our advantage to play this role. In these early season races, you have to be honest with yourself on your fitness. If you're not sure, it's often better to let your teammates know that you need to play it safe so that you can finish with the lead group.
A few observations:
When it's windy or hilly, it is important to stay up *near* the front (limiting your time leading the pack) in the early parts of the race. Otherwise, you may find yourself stuck behind guys who are getting gapped. You burn matches every time you have to bridge back to the pack. Later in the race when only the strongest guys are left, it's safer to sit in the middle or near the back and stay out of the wind.
Congratulations to the A group and the other DBC'ers who kicked bootie yesterday. It was a good day for DBC! -js
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