State Crit - Peoria Cycling Classic

A lot of updates due on this blog, might as well do them in reverse.

The Peoria Cycling Classic has got to be the best club-organized cycling event in the state. Close to 100 volunteers, run like clockwork, smooth registration, great course and the only chance to race through closed streets in a real downtown - particularly impressive to pull it off with no significant sponsorship. It's also the State Crit Championships. As such, it's disappointing that it doesn't get a better attendance - it certainly deserves better. Teams that turned out in force were Mack, XXX, Burnham and SCW - lots of bigger teams out there that don't seem to value a top-notch course and a State Championship very highly. But, I'm biased.

The course itself is a 1 mile figure 8 with one loop about twice as long as the other. Very wide streets, no sharp corners and a deceptive elevation change that can really sap the legs after 15-20 trips around. The defining feature is a long back stretch into a headwind, turning into a sharp rise then turning into a 300 m tailwind finishing straight. Lots of options for the final sprint, jump early on the back stretch, go from the final corner or pick the best wheel to draft and come around in the final 100 m. No perfect way, it depends on your strengths and how well you gauge the other riders. Any way you risk being caught or letting a guy solo home. The course is also tempting for breakaways, get down low into the headwind, get a gap, pedal through every corner , and it requires a lot of work from the pack to be brought back.

Almost all of the races featured long-term breaks, some were brought back, some weren't.

Up at 5:30, helping with setup, registration, officials etc. Nice turnout from the juniors, who received a thorough soaking from the elements for their efforts. The rain stayed away for the rest of the day, moderate temperature until mid-afternoon when the mercury hit the discomfort level.

Very few of the local racers do well in this event, as everybody gets pretty worn out from volunteering duties, but it's also important to represent the jersey - most jump into two races.

I should really save my bullets for the last race of the day, but I'd have been working 10 hours at this stage so I knew I wouldn't be worth much. I decided to give what I got in the morning Masters race. Still pretty knackered from the days at ToAD, I wasn't very enthusiastic about warming up. Just rolled easily around a parking lot for 10 minutes and did a few cursory jumps up and down the street while the previous race wrapped up. Then it was 1 practice lap and roll up to the start.

After the nadir of lame groupthink racing that was the O'Fallon-Spring Prairie weekend, and being inspired by CBR Luke's SP race account - I have given up on looking for upgrade points or results. I'm going to go out there and race every race. To heck with the consequences, I'm going to have fun, leave it all out there and do my tiny bit to let people know that they've been in a race.

You might say that a Masters Open race is not the best place to try this, and you'd be right. With all the Cat 1s and 2s there I'd be well out of my depth. I was pretty worried about getting dropped early. So I did what I often do when I think I'm in trouble - go to the front.

Half a lap in and the field tucks in as we hit the headwind. I take the opportunity to move into the wind and move up. Not sure why I did what I did, it wasn't a conscious decision, I wanted to get some high speed practice on the corners, represent the jersey in our home race and get a good photo-op. My legs took over and I jumped. Hitting the line I already had a good gap, the announcer starts going crazy and at every corner someone is shouting for me. So I hammered it. I was thinking I could maybe last 3 or so laps, then retire back to the pack to be dropped gracefully when the hammer really went down - might as well enjoy all the vainglory while it lasted. After three laps I still had a gap of 12 seconds or so and the pack was content to let me hang. I was wondering how much longer I could last, then an unattached rider bridged up. First time that anyone has ever bridged up to any of my suicidal OTF efforts - this could be a new experience! He introduced himself as the brother of a teammate and we set to work, rotating every half lap or so. Now my focus changed to staying out there as long as possible. I had a very strong teammate who had already raced, He could sit in till we were caught. and would only have to work the remainder of the race. I knew he could still put out a strong 20 minutes, but maybe not the full 45 - so that would improve his chances of a good result.

The gap went up from 12 to 15 to 18 seconds, still never out of sight of the pack. My power began to drop after 20 minutes or so, my already poor cornering became very ragged and I was starting to get gapped by my breakmate. He had to slow a few times to allow me back on.The catch was made after 25 minutes That's about 23 minutes longer than my previous record. I had stayed out there for more than half the race.

Well, we had succeeded in shattering the pack. My breakmate managed to hang on to the back of the first group of 15 who came by, I didn't. And just barely managed to latch on to the next, laughing group, of about 10. Took me 3 laps or so, but I recovered and was able to take my pulls and go to the front without any problem.

We had 5 or more Team Mackers in the group including infamous cat54ever Mark Shea. When Mack is involved, it doesn't matter if we're racing for DFL, or whether they had already raced previously. Only one thing for sure - Macker vs Proctoid! IT'S ON!

Tried to jump away with 1 lap to go. Didn't get anywhere. One Macker jumped to the left on the back straight, I latched onto his wheel. Another came hammering up the right side, I found a jump and latched on. Up the incline and I went wide, he made room for a third Macker to come through on the inside. I went round and jumped onto his wheel. He wound up his sprint, I stayed in the draft and came round him with 50 meters to go. Worth it to hear race announcer Dangerous Dan Damotte screaming my name as I crossed the line. And it is Team Mack, after all, and it may be the first and last time that I get past Steve Driscoll in a sprint. We have to take our little victories where we find them.

Hmm.. 20 minutes on, 5 minutes recovery, 20 minutes on. I think I'm getting too used to my favourite interval session.

That race done I changed out of my kit and spent the next few hours working registration. Saw Dave Moyer winning the P12 race in an impressive solo effort and Burnham dominating the Cat 3s in their patented manner. By the time it came to suit up for the Cat 4s I was pretty much toasted. Up nearly 12 hours and with nothing to eat all day bar a bowl of oatmeal and a banana. Didn't bother warming up. Tailgunning it from the start. Hot as Heck. Nothing in the legs that could allow me to move up. Dropped after 5 laps. I TT'd it for a few more - not able to sustain the effort. Jumped onto the back of the pack when they came around with 5 to go. No problem staying with them this time. At this stage all attacks had been reeled in and it was clear it was going to be a sprint finish. We all knew who was going to win that, which he did easily, so the only question to be resolved was who was going to take 2nd. Turned out to be Q from Project 5 - one of the few who do well at both Cobb Park and the State Crit.

After that is was a couple of hours of teardown and clearup, followed by a post-mortem over a burger and a couple of pints of stout. Then home for a 10 hour sleep that a baby would be proud of.

I raced. I left it out there. I got dropped. I had fun.

Some notes:

For the 2nd year in a row not one Cat 1/2 lady bothered to show up.

I have only encountered one team in Illinois that ever displays bad sportsmanship. More of the same today and they got called out publicly for it.