Carter Lake Road Race
April 18, 2004
This was my first road race. I had previously done a few hill climbs and a criterium about a month ago, but all of that was before I joined the Rocky Mounts team. This would be my first race with teammates. Eric Coppock and I were both entered in the 9:10 a.m. 35+/Cat. 4 division. Other Rocky Mounts, including Matson, H.C. Couch, and Jeb, were in the Cat. 3’s that went off in the afternoon. Jeff was entered in the Cat. 4’s that went off 5 minutes before us, and Jerome was racing 45+ and went off ten minutes in front of us. There was one Rocky Mounts female, Shannon Edson, in the Women’s 1/2/3 division.
Photo 1: My venerable teammate Mr. Eric von Coppock
Eric and I met outside the park and drove in together since it required a $5 parks pass, which Eric already had. When we went by the massive line to buy the pass, I thanked my teammate for pulling me to the front an hour before the race even started. It was as forecasted: brutally windy. A friend of Eric’s that we saw at the start decided to bag the race and headed for home, but most didn’t. The fields were huge. We checked in and dropped off some wheels for race support and then hit the bathroom. Afterwards, we dressed and we dressed warm. The wind made you quite cold, despite a moderate temperature of probably fifty degrees. Eric lent me some leggings for his second assist. Little did I know that Eric also removed my seat bag with my spare tube and tools. In this race, you rely on the support vehicles and the wheels you stashed.
We biked the 3 or 4 miles down the steep hill to the start area, where we met a couple more Rocky Mounts riders. We never met Greg and Eric (yes, another Eric) before, but they were nice guys and we vowed to try to work together. When our group was called to the start Greg and Eric went right to the front, but Eric hung at the very back of the group. Eric is my mentor and I go where he goes. He said it wouldn’t matter much at the start since it’s downhill and with a tailwind. Sure enough, we were soon smoking along at 40 mph headed east with a tailwind. The road was filled with cyclists and we couldn’t move up for a mile or so, but then Eric started weaving his way forward and I took his wheel. By the time we turned south and got hit with the nasty crosswind, we were in the top half or more. Here there was acceleration and we jumped hard to come around a number of riders and catch the lead group. We went by the other Eric so fast that I thought he’d be dropped from the group. Turns out he got back on and made it the bottom of the hill with the lead group, but, not being a climber, he got popped off there. He’d ride the second lap in a small group and the third lap completely solo, but he finished. Way to stick with it, Eric.
Meanwhile, I had worked my way up into the front five and I’d spend most of the rest of the race there. I stayed near the front, but tried to avoid pulling at all costs. We got a bit of an echelon going on this section, and I came through once or twice, but quickly moved over. We made the turn to the west, straight into the wind and heading towards the big hill on the loop. This loop, by the way, is 17-miles long and our race was three laps. I was careful to never be in the lead on this section and arrived at the base of the hill as probably the fourth or fifth rider. At one point a rider to my left tried to take the wheel I had. I just put my elbow, gave him a nudge, and he knew I wasn’t going to be letting him in. I worked pretty hard up the hill, but felt good. I topped out in fourth position and looked back to see things strung out pretty good. I didn’t see von Coppock, but he was right in there.
Photo 2: J'Lo is the second to last rider in the lead group going up the big hill on the first loop.
I stayed right in the front as we rolled along on top of the dam and through the finish area. Down the steep hill, my superior weight propelled me into the third spot. We finished our first lap in 49 minutes even. The cross wind on this descent was incredible and I heard that four riders went down here in the Cat. 3 race – blown over by the winds. Each time down the hill was no problem for me, but mainly because I had few riders to deal with. We made the turn and started flying east. Eric came up beside me and I’d find out later that Greg was still in the pack as well. I don’t know how many riders we’d shed by this point. One guy goes off the front, but only gains about two hundred meters. I’m at the front of the peloton and the guy next to me asks, “Think he can stay away?” Now I don’t know jack, being my first race and all, but I’m in my Rocky Mounts uniform and riding at the front and feeling like I know what I’m doing and I say, “No way. It’s too windy and this is only the second lap. He’ll just tire himself out.”
Eric commands me to take the front and I do. We rotate up there and try to string things out a bit. We’re hammering along and bearing down on the break-away guy at rapid pace, we fly by on the left, but he joins at the front of the peloton. After a mile or two, Eric and I give up the pace as it is to no avail. We turn west into the wind again and head for round two with the hill. A rider on my left pulls past me a bit and then cuts in to the right too early. He clips my front wheel good and I wobble drastically and almost go down, swerving left and then right. I hear a bunch of cussing behind me, but it wasn’t my fault and I don’t give a damn about those guys.
The second time up the hill things are harder. I start it fourth wheel again, but many people go by and I’m suffering when I top out, probably in 15th place or more. I work hard to get onto the back of the lead pack though and then work my way to the front, going through the finish area third wheel and then leading the descent down the hill. We finished our second lap in about 49:15 – pretty even splits. Unfortunately, at the top of the second climb my bike is making a horrible noise. I try shifting to a different gear, but it wouldn’t go away and stayed with me the entire third lap. I couldn’t stop to figure out what was going on and later when I showed it to Eric, he had no idea what was causing the noise. This was psychologically damaging, as I felt I was wasting energy on a faulty bike, but I soon ignored it. I’ll have to take the bike into the shop on Monday.
Behind me, von Coppock is starting to cramp. Greg comes by him at the start of the hill and von Coppock mentions his situation to him. Apparently just the utterance of the word “cramp” was enough to trigger the seizing in Greg’s legs. He’d cramp completely by the top of the hill and drop out there. Eric was the lantern rouge of the lead group climbing the hill and was seriously off the back, but brought back a bit on the hill. A friend came by Eric in a car and actually motor-paced Eric along the rollers at the top. This is, of course, completely illegal, but for all the officials would know, if they were around and they weren’t, was that it was some clueless driver just going slow. Eric found another strong rider who would work with him and they gave chase on the peloton.
Photo 3: J'Lo digging deep to stay with the front group.
Up at the front, I’m leading with another guy who’s trying to make a break on the downhill, tailwind section. I’m with him, but I’m not killing myself because it can’t work. We’re doing 40+ and hardly working. The peloton is all together, but strung out in single file. We make the turn south and the wind hits us hard. The pace drops. I’m second wheel and I don’t like the slow pace, but I don’t want to lead it either. That’s been the problem all day. The pack is still huge, at least forty riders. The finish is less than thirty minutes away. I take the lead for a bit, but I’m riding the centerline, giving very little draft to anyone behind me. I want a harder pace since I don’t want to have to fight forty riders on the final climb. I’m out for only a mile or so, not killing myself at all, just upping the pace a mile or two, when a rider comes by on my right and I ride beside him in the draft. At this point, I look back over my left shoulder a bit too long. I’m looking for Eric and I drift right and hit the guy next to me. We bounce off each other but neither of us go down and I profusely apologize.
A bit later, Eric pulls up beside me. He had made the chase of a lifetime to catch the peloton. In the winds we had, this is truly incredible. He even goes to the front briefly and I get a draft off him for a bit. The pace is picking up though and Eric’s chase has cost him. It isn’t long before he says, “Bill, I’m cramping up.” And then he’s gone. I just said, “Okay.” There wasn’t time for anything else, and I was concentrating hard on the front riders. Eric would drop to the back of the peloton, hang on a bit, and then have to stop and get off his bike. He couldn’t even walk, as the cramps were so bad. Eventually, he hobbled over to a sign and was able to hold himself upright for a bit, but then collapsed. I was alone now, but there wasn’t much teammates could do to help me.
We turned into the wind for the last time and I made sure I never led this false flat into the wind. I was always second or third or fourth, but never first. One guy went off the front, but I wouldn’t chase him down. When two others went by I grabbed their wheels and we caught the breakaway. The pace was hard now, stringing things out. I wanted to wait until the first turn of the hill before really going because then I wouldn’t be going straight into the wind, but the leaders wouldn’t wait. Soon I’m up out of the saddle and fighting for all I’m worth. I’m with the lead group, but more are moving up. I make the first switchback still with the lead group of ten, but the screws are being turned. I’m dying and I’m losing contact, I’m off the back at the second switchback, but still working to limit the damage. On the last rise, Greg is there urging me on to get the guy in front.
Photo 4: The rider in front on the right is Shannon Edson, the lone the Rocky Mounts female rider. The woman to her right is Rachel Couch, our team captain's wife. Why isn't she a Rocky? They both pulled out of the race due to the dangerous winds in the afternoon.
I top the hill in tenth place, 100 meters behind the lead group of nine, but they are starting to pop some riders off the back of that group. I’ve got 50 meters on the next rider behind me and I figure no one is going to catch me, but let’s just see whom I can catch. I put my head down and go into time trial mode. Two riders have separated from the group in front of me and one of them looks back. That’s a sign he’s tired. I’m encouraged and work harder. The second rider has been popped off the back of his buddy when I pull up on his wheel and then come forward a bit. He says to me, “Let’s just work together and at least not get caught.” This guy just dropped me on the hill and now he appears to have no fight left. How did he drop me? I need to work harder. Nine guys rode away from me on that hill and I didn’t like it one bit.
Photo 5: This is the Cat. 3 group turning to head up the hill on the second lap. Up near the front is H.C.
I ride with this guy for a bit, but I’ve got to be moving on as there isn’t much time left. I pull him for a bit, still recovering somewhat and then go strong to make a break. I’m not towing that guy with me. I’m closing on the next guy, dressed all in black and I’m closing pretty fast. I don’t even bother grabbing his wheel, but blow right on by and he can’t respond and get my wheel. Two down. The lead group is in front, but I won’t catch them. I go through the final corner and the final rise and work hard to catch the last guy off the back of the leaders. I catch him with 300 meters to go and it’s the Stazio Smackdown all over again. He’s been going hard for a while and clearly got popped off the group. He’s going hard and real fast, but I wonder if he can hold me off with my new found sprinting skills. We’re doing 30 mph and I’m a foot off his wheel. I’ve been taught to wait and wait and wait some more and I remember my tutors’ instructions. With a hundred meters to go I stand and sprint for all I’m worth. I come around and power to the finish, taking him by a few bike lengths. I finish in 2:23:30 or so and in 7th place.
Photo 6: The Cat. 3 group heading into the wind and towards the climb on their second lap. Just left of the orange sign is Matson.
I’m pretty psyched to finish in the top ten in my first road race, but wish I could have been stronger on the last climb and at least been in the mix at end, but that’s more than I deserve and more than I should have hoped for, but my friends had me thinking I could possibly have finished higher. I’d only been averaging about eighty miles a week over the last two months and my longest ride this year was less than forty miles. I just haven’t put in the work. I suffered mightily on the final hill, though, and think I gave it everything I had and that’s all I can ask for. The race was 51 miles and we completed it at an average of 20-21 mph. That is slow with such a big group, but the winds were brutal and we had at total of nearly 3000 feet of climbing. My max speed was 48 mph.
I quickly saw the Cat. 3 Rocky Mounts guys gearing up for their race and I chatted with them, wishing them luck in their race. After a bit, I turned around and headed back down in search of Eric. I got down to the final turn, about 600 meters from the finish and noticed my bike was riding funny. My back tire was completely flat. I’m sure I finished with a good wheel, but apparently just barely. I thought about how disappointed I’d have been if I had flatted just a couple miles earlier. Heck, even a mile earlier would have ended my day. In fact, I didn’t see wheel support all day. Later I talked with a Cat. 3 guy who had flatted and he was waiting around for a long time with no support in sight.
Jeff had done well in the Cat. 4’s, finishing in about 14th place or so. Jerome had ridden well and with the lead group into the final hill. Eric, the other Eric, stuck it out and finished in around 2:45. von Coppock didn’t fare so well. After his cramping session, it was over for him. He caught a ride up the hill the final time and then rode on to the finish, where I met him. We picked up our wheels and headed back to the car. After loading everything we headed home, but not before seeing the Cat. 3 group go by the finish area on their first lap. Kevin was near the front. Matson was in there and Jeb was on the back end of the lead group. They looked strong.
We drove down the hill halfway and stopped when we saw the women’s pack approaching the hill. I jumped out with my camera and took some shots. Three women, including one of J’Lo’s teammates were off the front of the group by fifty meters or so and then the lead group of about fifteen more riders. Jilayne was in this lead group and looked good. We cheered her on and then continued on. Eric dropped me at my truck and I drove back up to the west turn on the racecourse. I waited for the Cat. 3’s to go by and snapped a couple more photos. Kevin was fourth wheel or so. I didn’t see Jeb, but Matson was near the back of the lead group.
I waited a bit longer and saw the three lead women go by with a big lead. I suspect they won’t be caught. The fourth rider was within striking range, but catching three while going into the wind would be very difficult. Another group of three came by and then J’Lo’s group of four showed up. J’Lo was looking good and had some girls to work with, so I suspect she finished fine. Being alone on a day like today would be truly horrible. I can’t wait to hear how everyone did…
My performance was good, but it was the third best in my family this past weekend. First, Sheri ran the Earth Day 5K on Saturday and was third overall and the first master’s woman. Finishes like this would elate me, if I ever finished that high, but Sheri was disappointed in her time, despite averaging 6:20 per mile. Later that day Derek had his soccer game and he was completely dominant, being by far the fastest kid on the field and working the hardest. He had no less than ten shots on goal and could have had four or five more, but he was always looking to pass. Only one of his shots went in, but that’s how it goes sometimes. Derek never plays bunch ball. When others crowd around the ball, he lingers on the outskirts. The game will be plodding along and then the ball will pop out of the pack. Derek takes it and the game is now going three times as fast and Derek is off to the races. It was a blast to watch.
Photo 7: Derek on a break-away!
Photo 8: Derek, Ryan, and Nick - the core of the team.
Figure 1: The course profile: elevation vs. distance.
Figure 2: Race elevation and speed vs. time.
Photo 9: J'Lo is the second rider here. She's in a group of four heading for the hill on the second lap. The women's field has been completely shattered.
Photo 10: A dork happy to have finished his first road race....